Sado Island, a tiny former penal colony in the Sea of Japan, is a treasure trove of traditional Japanese folk performances that are shaped by the island’s unusual history. On these pages, KIE presents the must-see cultural arts in this corner of Niigata prefecture: wadaiko drumming, onidaiko demon dances, noh traditions, sekkyo and noroma puppetry, and harigoma song-and-dance performances.