Sado Island has a rich history of gold mining dating back to ancient times. During the Edo period, the island became a center for gold mining and was directly managed by the shogunate.

The town of Aikawa, which used to be a small fishing village, transformed into a big city with a population of 50,000 due to the discovery of gold. This population was comparable to the population density of Edo City at the time. The gold mining industry attracted various people, both miners and others. The magistrate’s office, which should have been in the center of Sado, was located in Aikawa due to its significance.

However, mining for gold was incredibly challenging, and homeless people known as “Mushukunin” were sent to work in the gold mines by the Edo Shogunate. These individuals worked tirelessly in harsh conditions, using manual labor to pump up groundwater from the mines. Sadly, many of them lost their lives in the dark mines. The term “dosamawari” reflects the somber and difficult nature of this work.