Sado Island for teenager

Aloha Uji and everyone else,

My son has an opportunity to do a e week homestay on Sado Island. He is a 15 year old who loves Japan, but is used to "modern Japan". He loves the food, convenience stores and novelty of the country. The students will stay with families, teach English to middle-schoolers, and assist with the upkeep of traditional buildings.

Any thoughts? Are there modern conveniences on Sado Island? I guess I'm wondering what the bathroom situation is in these traditional homes.

Thanks, Love Japan

difficult to answer, it depends on your son.

sorry if this offends but take it as an honest opinion:

if your son is needy, clingy, or even slightly metro-sexual (i.e. very fashion and image conscious) i think sado island is gonna be a real challenge for him to handle for more than a week or so.

on the other hand, if your son is a laid back kind of kid with a positive outlook toward new experiences that aren't always easy, he'll love it.

sado island does have some modern conveniences but it's absolutely nothing like tokyo or any other major metropolis of japan.

on the other hand it sure lets someone experience real japan, i.e. japan that hasn't been blended all into a sort of fake cultural city center like tokyo where it's just a mishmash of everyone from other prefectures.

i'd say he should go for it unless he's the former type of person that can't handle roughing it for a few weeks.

lastly keep in mind that even though sado island is rural compared to tokyo, it's still japan and there are still convenience stores, shops, etc just like any other place and depending on where you live it may even be busier or more convenient than your own town..!

one other thing. if the choice is between your son going to sado island in japan or not going anywhere at all (i.e. no alternatives) then he absolutely should go, sado island isn't the edge of the earth, and he'll have a blast being super popular with the cute girls he'll encounter during his time here.

Toilet situation totally depends on the particular house he is going to stay. I think your son will get a great experience in Sado. There are plenty of modern convenience there along with more traditional side. Anyway, one week will fly by.

Hi,

It's actually a 3 week homestay, all on Sado Island. And, my son is Asian.

Thanks for your thoughts,
LJ

I had never heard of this place, so thanks for asking this question. and I had researched it.

It may be somewhere I would visit. Im always looking for random, secluded, traditional places to visit.

I went to a place similar but it was much smaller than Sado Island. It was Okishima Island in the middle of lake biwa, near shiga prefecture. Great place. Nice people. I'm sure Sado Island will be similar...

If interested, found a little video documentary on youtube, of a guy who went there..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeCR20JfJRE