Wheel-shaped rice planting passed down in Sado, spreading outward from the center of the paddy
Sado no Kurumadaue
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Around mid- to late-May each year / Every year
- Location
- The largest paddy belonging to the Kitamura family
- Area
- Niigata Prefecture・Sado City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 40 min–2 h 10 min · bullet train)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Sado no Kurumadaue, passed down in Kita-Ushima, Sado City, is an old rice-planting-finale custom in which 3 saotome plant seedlings in a spiral pattern from the center of the paddy.
About Sado no Kurumadaue
Sado no Kurumadaue is an old rice-planting custom passed down in Kita-Ushima, Sado City.
Before planting, the seedlings are brought to the paddy and the god of the fields is enshrined; the owner of the paddy then carries the seedlings to the kurumada.
After pouring sacred sake over the paddy, 3 saotome plant the rice, carrying on the agricultural traditions of the community.
It is also designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
Source: 国指定 重要無形民俗文化財：佐渡の車田植 - 新潟県佐渡市公式ホームページ / 国指定文化財等データベース
Festival highlights
The highlight is the way the seedlings are planted from the center of the paddy outward in a pattern resembling a wheel or a whirlpool.
Three saotome move toward the center from three sides of the paddy bank, bring together half-bundles of seedlings and plant them, then continue working as they step backward.
Rice-planting songs are sung on the banks, creating a distinctive scene in which the pattern of the seedlings and the songs come together.
Wheel-shaped rice planting passed down in Sado, spreading outward from the center of the paddy
What to expect
The ceremony begins by bringing 3 bundles of seedlings from the nursery paddy, offering rice balls, and enshrining the god of the fields.
The owner of the paddy carries the seedlings to the kuruma paddy and, after pouring sacred sake over the paddy, hands 1 bundle to each of the 3 saotome.
They plant as they step backward from the center outward. The subsequent harvesting, drying, and hulling of the rice are also carried out separately from the work in other paddies.
Location and access
- Venue and address
The largest paddy belonging to the Kitamura family.
It is located in Kita-Ushima, Sado City.
Address Kita-Ushima, Sado City, Niigata Prefecture
Dates and season
It is usually held from mid-May to around the latter part of the month.
It takes place as a custom marking the end of rice planting.
Since the event date varies by year, please check before visiting.
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Niigata Prefecture / Sado City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
佐渡博物館
新潟県佐渡市にある博物館
佐渡島の金山
新潟県佐渡市にある世界遺産
Origins and History of Sado no Kurumadaue
Sado no Kurumadaue is an old rice-planting custom passed down in Kita-Ushima, in Sado’s Sotokaifu area.
Similar customs were once passed down in Iwate, Gifu, Kochi, and other prefectures, but few examples remain today.
In Sado today, a set of old agricultural customs is passed down, including the rice-planting finale, rice-planting songs, and work carried out after the rice-growing season. It was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1979.
Official information
The cultural properties guide on Sado City’s official website provides the location, preservation group, timing, and planting method for Sado no Kurumadaue.
For inquiries, contact the Cultural Properties Section of the World Heritage Division, Sado City.
Its registration as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property can also be checked in the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ database of nationally designated cultural properties.
Sado no Kurumadaue at a Glance
Sado no Kurumadaue is a rice-planting custom passed down in Kita-Ushima, where seedlings are planted in a spiral pattern from the center of the paddy outward.
Preparations to honor the god of the fields, rice-planting songs, and planting by 3 saotome together make up the ceremony.
Held each year around mid- to late-May, it is an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property that conveys Sado’s agricultural traditions.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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