Rub a dub dub, three men in a tub, and who do you think they be? I'll tell you the nub, of who's in the tub, one of these men is me.
But, ah, here's the rub. Made of wood and resembling the bottom half of a huge wine barrel, this tub is actually a boat. A boat that's afloat in the blue seaport of a small village on Japan's Sado Island, where these tubs are an iconic part of the heritage. They've been used by fishermen for more than a century to navigate dangerous rocks, with the round shape easy to manoeuvre with a single vertical oar.
Keiji Kaneko is one of the few craftspeople still building tub boats, spending his winter making a few and his summer taking visitors for a short cruise in them. "I knew how to make one because we did it when we were little boys," he tells me. "And now I want to tell the traditions of my village, and it also helps to show visitors the beauty of Sado."
Let me tell you, Sado Island is beautiful... yet so few Australians come here each year, you could probably fit most of them into one of these tubs! Sado is the fifth largest of Japan's main group of islands (after Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku), just a ferry ride off the coast of the popular ski region of Niigata. It's possible to visit for a day trip but there's lots to fit in across the whole island, more than 60 kilometres end to end.
"It's a very rich island," my guide Miki explains. She means 'rich' in many senses of the word, but you'll find the most literal display of the island's wealth in its old gold mines. Starting in the 16th century, the metallic riches in the island's mountains were mined for about 400 years, with operations only ending in 1989. This helped build modern Japan, partly because of the money it brought the country but also because of the advanced engineering that was developed here.
Walking down into a dark tunnel that's been cut roughly into rock, I look around. It's dirty, dark... and basic. Mannequins wearing rudimentary robes and holding bowls of rice are perched next to wooden buckets (much smaller than the tub-boats). It's hard to believe this was the economic powerhouse behind Japan's samurai era. But as I continue through the Sado Gold Mines, I reach the more modern tunnels. The walls are smooth, railway tracks run down the middle. At the end, back out in the daylight, is an exhibition of the machinery that came later as operations were scaled up.
The Sado Gold Mines were added to the World Heritage List about two years ago. They're obviously not temples, shrines, or gardens - the kinds of things you might normally associate with Japanese heritage, but there's still an industrial beauty that goes along with their significance. The most visually striking part is just down the road from the tunnels at the abandoned Kitazawa Flotation Plant. This enormous concrete complex, more than 200 metres long with multiple levels rising up a hillside, is now covered with overgrown grass and moss. It looks post-apocalyptic.
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Perhaps it's only fair that nature is taking over. After all, Sado Island's natural environment is one of its biggest drawcards. From the dramatic coastlines with sculpted geological formations, through forests of ancient cedar trees, up to the rugged mountain ranges, it's almost like a miniature version of Japan.
Amongst it all is the country's last remaining habitat for the endangered toki, a graceful bird also known as the crested ibis. As we drive across the island, along an avenue lined by farms, we keep an eye out for any (after all, my guide Miki calls it "Toki Road"). There are some white cranes standing tall in the rice paddies. And a kite circling above. But no toki today. I guess there's a reason the road's nickname is not official.
It's hard to be disappointed, though, with so much else to see. From the 8th to the 15th centuries, the rulers of Japan exiled political opponents, deposed royals, and critical intellectuals to Sado Island. Because they were educated and cultured, they did things like build religious monuments or develop theatre and other arts. You'll still find their legacy at temples like Konpon-ji and Myosen-ji, or at the island's oldest existing Noh theatre at Daizen Shrine.
But I've come to Sado Island for a day trip, catching the ferry from the port at Niigata, and it's not long enough to do everything. I regret that. Thankfully there is time to pick up an e-bike in the afternoon from the town of Ogi and ride along some of the coast. Along the way are views down to fishing boats, across bays, over bridges, and into island temples. But a highlight is the small village of Shukunegi.
"It has a distinctive nostalgic atmosphere," says a local volunteer greeter at the entrance to Shukunegi (with very impressive English!). Two centuries ago, it was the wealthiest village on Sado Island because 11 shipbuilders lived here. Now, it's a little warren of about 100 wooden heritage buildings made from old ship planks. Three of these private homes are open to the public as museums.
When you visit Shukunegi - and I hope you do - cycle the 50 metres across the road to the seaport. It's here you'll meet Keiji Kaneko, the craftsman who makes the wooden tub boats and takes visitors out in them for short cruises. His experience captures the richness of what Sado Island offers: the coastal heritage, the artisanal tradition, the gorgeous landscape, and a fun escape away from the tourist crowds.