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Sitting on a huge horseshoe bay with the mountains of Sado rising behind, RYOTSU is an appealing little place, which makes a good base for a night or two. The town revolves around its modern ferry pier and bus terminal, at the south end, while there's still a flavour of the original fishing community in the older backstreets to the north, among the rickety wooden houses with their coiled nets and fishy odours. Much of the town occupies a thin strip of land between the sea and a large saltwater lake, Kamo-ko, which is now used for oyster farming. Once you've wandered the old streets, taken a look at the lake and seen an okesa dance, there's not much else to do in Ryotsu except plan your onward journey. Given its history, it's not surprising that Sado's theme music, okesa , focuses on anguished songs of exile accompanied by mournful, hypnotic dances. There are nightly performances of okesa , and the more lively ondeko , every evening from April to October (8pm; Y800, Y700 if booked at your hotel) in the Ryotsu Kaikan, located in the old part of town. Still in a theatrical vein, the Sado No-gaku-no-sato (daily 8.30am-5pm; Y800), around the south shore of Kamo-ko lake, is a new museum celebrating Sado's long association with No. Unfortunately there's nothing in English, but the masks and costumes are enjoyable, as is the short performance by remarkably life-like robots who are admirably suited to No's studied movements. To reach the museum, take a bus on the Minami-sen route (line #2) for Sawata and get off after ten minutes at the No-gaku-no-sato-mae stop.
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