Remote Islands in Japan Japanology

As Japan as a whole struggles with a rapidly aging and declining population, some of its remote islands are taking bold steps to rejuvenate themselves, attracting both young people and tourists.

Initiatives to cope with their dwindling communities include ideas focused on tourism, education and encouraging outsiders to relocate to them.

Ojika Island in Nagasaki Prefecture, an islet with a population of 2,500, now attracts around 20,000 tourists a year with a program offering visitors a chance to experience the traditional life of an islander.

Shoichiro Udo, a 73-year-old fisherman, hosts tourists at his home a day or two a week, serving fish he catches himself, either as sashimi or deep-fried.

“At first, I wondered why they would come here, since there’s nothing to see,” Udo said.

The island in the East China Sea once thrived on abalone fishing. But when the local fishery industry declined, the island’s population fell.

About a decade ago, a group of islanders, concerned that the island community was losing its vitality, initiated a tourism program offering an ¥8,000 overnight stay at resident’s homes, including hands-on experiences of fishing or farming and dining with the family. It was not long before the nature-rich island became a magnet for tourists, with visitors gradually increasing through word of mouth.

Residents for their part found themselves enjoying the visitors. Locals say the island has a history of hospitality as a port of call for ships engaged in trade with China in olden times.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/201...
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