Sado Island’s cultural renaissance: a Japanese journey from exile to artistic haven

We plan to rest for 24 hours and then carry on towards Hokkaido, Japan’s main northern island, to escape the summer heat and typhoons of the country’s southern waters.

After several hours of sleep, we walk into the town of Ogi in search of a late breakfast, stopping at Origine, a tiny six-seat restaurant where all is quiet, with no chef or customers in sight.

“These are the croissants I read about in the online reviews,” my partner says, pointing to a tray of flaky pastries. Fresh croissants after days of stodgy on-board meals are too much to pass up, so we sit down and wait, given hope by the fact that the kitchen counter shows signs of recent activity: used mixing bowls and cutting boards, ingredients chopped and ready for the stove.

Fifteen minutes later, just as we are about to leave, the chef steps inside from the street, surprised to see he has customers. Soon, we are drinking fresh coffee and enjoying a French-inspired brunch.