Nippon no Arashi - Matsumoto (Part 1 of 3)
Hello all~!
I'm back again for another installation of the book! This weekend it's MatsuJun's trip to the outlying islands of Shimane. Totally unknown part of Japan for me, so I found this one really cool to read about :D
Enjoy!
Matsumoto Jun and the People of the Japanese Islands
Shimane
The island country of Japan is surrounded by the wide ocean. But if you live in a city that’s not near the ocean, you may forget about this fact. More attention has been drawn not only to the convenient city life, but also again to life in the countryside; however, the reality is that many rural areas are still facing a declining population. In the midst of this, Matsumoto Jun chose a journey to the outlying islands.
The start of the trip of connections
First thing in the morning, Matsumoto Jun took a plane from Haneda Airport in Tokyo to Yonago Airport in Tottori Prefecture. From there he traveled by car for almost an hour until he arrived at Shichirui Harbor in Shimane Prefecture. He boarded the 9:30 am ferry, named “Ferry Kuniga,” bound for Hishiura, the port for the Oki Islands. It’s about a 3 hour boat trip from Shichirui Harbor to Hishiura Harbor. He enjoyed the boat trip, periodically going out on the deck, excited about his first time visiting Oki.
Actually, Oki is not the name of one large island, but is a group consisting of the largest island on the north side, Dougo, and a group of islands on the south side called the Douzen Islands, which are Nishinoshima, Nakanoshima, and Chiburijima. The whole group of islands, with these 4 being the main ones, are referred to as the Oki Archipelago.
Matsumoto was heading for Nakanoshima this trip. The entire island of Nakanoshima is considered the town of Ama, in the Oki District of Shimane Prefecture. Why did Matsumoto pick Nakanoshima out of the numerous outlying islands that exist? Part of the reason was that, “despite the declining population of the outlying islands of Japan, this island is for some reason seeing more people move there from the cities,” and most of all, it was simply Matsumoto’s intuition. When this trip was announced, the first thing Matsumoto decided upon was “to go to an outlying island,” but there is said to be over 400 inhabited outlying islands in Japan. Choosing Nakanoshima out of all of those was entirely due to Matsumoto’s sense that there would be some meaningful encounters there. It soon became clear just how perceptive that sense had been.
They arrived at Hishiura Harbor at 12:40. Upon getting off the boat, they were met by Aoyama Atsushi-san (26 years-old) from the Ama Town Tourism Bureau. With the wonderfully smiling Aoyama-san leading the way, the group drove in a car up to the best viewing spot in Ama, Mt. Kinkouji. Looking at the town of Ama while driving up Mt. Kinkouji, 164 meters above sea level, they felt that sense of excitement unique to the start of a journey, and soon they arrived at a building near the summit. There, they saw that lunch was waiting for them, prepared by the Kanyake couple, who moved to Ama from Osaka 3 years ago. The wife was originally from Ama and the husband from Osaka, and when they retired, they decided to move back to Ama. The husband, Kanyake Toshiaki-san, loves fishing and found this island to be the best. Aouyama-san also arranged for one other person to come, Hanafusa Ikumi-san (24 years-old), also known as Hana-chan, who would turn out to be one of the key persons on this trip.
Matsumoto sat down for lunch right after. It was his first experience with wakame (TN: a type of seaweed) shabu shabu, freshly taken from the ocean, served with shiitake mushrooms that the Kanyake-san couple had grown themselves on their property. Kanyake-san said, “wakame changes color quickly when cooked, so eat it right after the color changes,” and sure enough, the wakame changed to a brilliant green color the instant it was put into the boiling water, to Matsumoto’s surprise. He dipped it in ponzu and had a bite, saying, “Ah! It’s delicious! Very crunchy.” It seemed that Matsumoto, who already liked wakame to begin with, really enjoyed it and wound up eating more wakame than anyone else (lol).
While enjoying the meal like this, they once again talked about Ama.
Matsumoto: Aoyama-san, you’re one of the staff members of the Tourism Bureau?
Aoyama: Yes, I am.
Matsumoto: And you’re Hana-chan.
Hanafusa: Aha!
Matsumoto: What do you mean, “aha” (lol).
Aoyama: When we had our “Tourism Koushien” event, Hana-chan led the Oki Douzen High School students quite strongly.
Hanafusa: I didn’t lead them that strongly (lol).
Matsumoto: You don’t work at the school, Hana-chan?
Hanafusa: I go to the school as a member of the Ama Town Educational Committee.
Matsumoto: Are you all no originally from this island?
Aoyama: No, we’re not.
Kanyake: I’m originally from Osaka, but retired from my job and was drawn here by the fishing and starry night skies.
Matsumoto: Eh~, are the stars pretty here?
Kanyake: Very much so.
Hanafusa: They’re very beautiful~.
Matsumoto: What brought you here, Aoyama-san?
Aoyama: I had been going to college in Tokyo, and one of my seniors was going to be moving to Ama, and he brought me here by chance for a visit before he graduated. At that time I met quite a few people here on the island, and thought it was a very close-knit place and I wanted to work here with everyone, so on my way home I barged into the Tourism Bureau asking, “Do you have any jobs here?”
Matsumoto: Eh!? So sudden! Amazing. But, it’s also amazing for a city to say, “Sure, come join us” to someone who just shows up suddenly (lol).
Aoyama: That’s true (lol). At any rate, my boss feels very passionately about his job, so he also talked to me about it quite a bit. Even after I returned to Tokyo for a while, he would always come visit me on his business trips to Tokyo.
Hanafusa: It sounds like he liked you. You’re a nice person, Aoyama-san.
Matsumoto: What was it about Ama that you liked?
Aoyama: I don’t want to use this word lightly… but I always answer “the people.” I took a year off from college to work at a start-up business. It was fun because I enjoy working towards goals, but then I started worrying about the future. Like my company’s sales… and what would come after that. It was around that time that I visited here.
Matsumoto: About how many people have come to this island as you have, Aoyama-san?
Aoyama: About 200 people in the last 5 years.
Matsumoto: 200 people in 5 years coming out to an island is quite a lot, isn’t it?
Aoyama: Compared to the whole country, it’s proportionally extraordinarily high.
Matsumoto: What about you, Hana-chan? Why did you come to Oki?
Hanafusa: Me~? I don’t have a great reason or anything… (chewing)…well, can I first eat some of the kakiage?
Matsumoto: I guess so~ (lol). Have you always just gone at your own pace like this, Hana-chan?
Hanafusa: I get scolded a lot for it, but it never changes.
Matsumoto: But that’s ok, isn’t it?
Hanafusa: Ah~ to hear you say that MatsuJun, I feel much more confident in myself.
Matsumoto: No no, it’s your own responsibility (lol).
Hanafusa: I see (lol). Well, when I graduated college, I wasn’t able to find a job, so I thought, “Ah, I guess I’ll be a bum” and sat around for a month enjoying watching tv. Then my parents yelled at me, “Ikumi! Cut it out and go get a job through Halo Work already!” And then while I was looking for work through Halo Work, I got a call from a college seminar professor one day. He said, “Hanafusa-san, do you have any interest in the islands?” Well of course you would say, “Yes, I do” in order to hear what else he has to say, right? So then he said, “There’s this island out here…” and started explaining about Ama, saying, “If you’re still interested I can keep talking about it.” I thought that since a college professor was talking, I better pay attention and listen, and the more I listened, the more I thought it sounded like fun. Then he said, “If you’re still interested, one of my employees of my company will be going to Ama soon, so you could go with them,” and so I said, “Ok, I’ll go!” It seemed like Ama was also looking for people to start working right away, and my mom would yell at me if I didn’t work (lol), so I said, “I’ll do it, I’ll do it,” and then realized I had to also move here too.
Matsumoto: Eh~
Hanafusa: I’d never been here before and wasn’t even really sure how to write Ama in Kanji, but even so I asked, “Where would I be living?” and was shown to my house. And within a week, I was living there. I’m a weird person.
Everyone: (lol).
Matsumoto: How long ago was all that?
Hanafusa: The year before last.
Matsumoto: And now you’re part of the Ama Town Educational Committee?
Hanafusa: Yes. There are three towns within the Douzen Islands, but there is only one high school, and right now there are about 90 students in the whole school. We only have a small school with just 30 students in each year. Moreover, while the number of children is going down, if the Oki Douzen High School isn’t attractive, then the island’s middle school students won’t choose to attend it, and will go outside the islands. And high school students are energetic, right? Just with having energetic children around, I think the island becomes livelier, and it would be very lonely to have that disappear. So we always want to have a high school here. Then one day I got asked by the school, “We’re going to participate in the ‘Tourism Koushien’ and need your help~.” Once I started helping, I gradually realized how important this work is.
Matsumoto: What kind of event is the “Tourism Koushien?”
Hanafusa: You plan a sort of tour centered around your hometown area.
Matsumoto: Like the tour packages travel agencies offer?
Hanafusa: Yes exactly. And then the best plan is chosen. Last year was the first time it was held, but the other entrants were all students who took classes on tourism or who were attending that kind of vocational school. Oki Douzen High was the only school that was general curriculum only, so it was quite difficult. But at any rate, everyone from the school walked around the three Douzen Islands, taking or drawing pictures, and we put together our tour plan.
Matsumoto: Yes.
Hanafusa: And, well, we never thought that we would actually win…
Matsumoto: You won?!
Hanafusa: We got in first place. Man~ who would have thought we’d be the best in Japan.
Matsumoto: Is it better that I don’t hear the details of the award-winning plan just yet?
Hanafusa: Yes, let’s keep it a secret! And, in the guidelines for the competition, it said that the championship plan *may* be used to create an actual commercial tour, but after we won I was so excited that I misread that and thought, “Oh, they’re going to commercialize it!” and I promised the students it would happen, so I couldn’t go back on that. And so, it’s finally happening tomorrow!
Matsumoto: Eh, eh, what is?
Hanafusa: The actualization of that trip!
Matsumoto: You mean you’re actually going to offer that trip that won the grand prize?
Hanafusa: Yes.
Matsumoto: But then that means that this important event that involves not only the school, but the entire island, is happening tomorrow?
Hanafusa: Yes, that’s what it really means… But you know, the person pulling it forward (me) is this kind of person.
Kanyake: Last year, when you won it was broadcasted here on the islands.
Hanafusa: Yes. It was crazy at that time! We were given a championship flag to take home with us, and when we got back, there were these huge banners hanging at the port saying, “Congratulations to Oki Douzen High School for winning the Tourism Koushien!” At that point the kids were saying, “Hanafusa-san, it’s too embarrassing to get off the boat like this” (lol).
Everyone: (lol)
Hanafusa: I said, “No let’s do our best and get off!”
Aoyama: It was all over the island’s local broadcasting that you were coming back that day. We were in the middle of showing some folks around and got called, “Go to the port~!” When I said, “I’m showing some people around right now,” they said, “What’s more important!!” (lol)
Everyone: (lol)
Hanafusa: And at that time, a boy, who you’ll be meeting later, came to me and said, “I’ve never in my life gotten first place in anything and thought I was no good, but the first time I got first place it was first in all of Japan!” And I thought it was a touching way to be greeted.
Matsumoto: Eh~. Could it be that the high school students will be showing me the plan that won the “Tourism Koushien?”
Hanafusa: Yes. That’s exactly right. Man, but you are such a nice person, MatsuJun. I’m really so glad I was able to meet you today~.
Matsumoto: You’re bringing this to an end (lol)?
Hanafusa: Yes, it’s about time for me to get going. Well, we’re waiting for you anytime~!
Matsumoto: Yes, I’ll see you later then!
And with that they parted with Hana-chan so that she could return to the school beforehand to set up the meeting with Matsumoto and the high school students. They asked Aoyama-san for some advice about what to do after that.
Aoyama: The mountain we’re on right now is the second tallest one on the island. The tallest mountain is called Mt. Atodo, and our island’s local specialty, called “fukugi tea,” is grown there, so how about drinking some tea there while enjoying the view?
Matsumoto: Oh, that’s a great idea.
Aoyama: Also, since there really are all kinds of spots around, it might be interesting to tour some of the temples.
Matsumoto: It’d be great if I could go around to learn more about the island. By the way, is fukugi tea a type of tea that was originally grown here in Ama?
Aoyama: Yes, it is. The name “fukugi” is actually the local word for that type of wood. Do you know what kuromoji is? It’s the wood often used for toothpicks for traditional Japanese sweets. Here that wood is called fukugi, and the tea infused from it has been drunk for many years.
Matsumoto: Oh, it’s the wood! It’s not a tea from the leaves.
Aoyama: There are both, the type that infuses from the branches, and the type made with the leaves. Also, I was hoping tomorrow you would be able to meet the elderly man who is our island’s guide. He lives in the island’s southernmost district, called “Saki.” It was where former Emperor Gotoba went after he was exiled. I thought it’d be good if the elderly man could show you around that area. He’s taken care of me ever since I moved here to the islands, so I’d really like to introduce him to you.
Matsumoto: Oh, (the emperor) was banished to the Oki Islands.
Aoyama: Unlike other islands, rice can be grown here. Water springs up here, and it’s very rich in resources, so it was often used in the past for the banishment of aristocrats. There are a number of graves all over here that don’t quite fit with their surroundings.
Matsumoto: Ok then, let’s go to the high school to start, and decide after listening to the tour plan they created.
The high school students and the trip of connections
After loosely deciding on a plan for the trip around Nakanoshima, they headed over to Oki Douzen High School where Hana-chan and the students were waiting. What would the presentation that won the “Tourism Koushien” be like? Anticipation filled their chests. Perhaps it was because it was spring break, but Oki Douzen High School, located very close to the base of Mt. Kinkouji, was very quiet. Matsumoto quietly sneaked to just outside the library where the students were waiting, in order to surprise them. And then, the moment he opened the door, there came loud shouts and near screams from the students, who hadn’t been told anything about the visit! Hana-chan’s cries of, “everyone, calm down~!” somehow managed to calm them a little, but for a while the students still seemed unable to hide their surprise at this unexpected event.
After Matsumoto explained the goal of this trip and said he wanted to see their presentation, the students complied and showed the presentation that they gave at the “Tourism Koushien.”
Hanafusa: Ok then everyone here at Oki Douzen High School, if you please!
Matsumoto: Please!
Everyone: (Applause)
Kashiwara: And now, we will start Oki Douzen High School’s presentation. Bow! The Oki Archipelago lies in the Sea of Japan, off the coast of Shimane Prefecture, and is split into Douzen and Dougo. The Douzen Islands where we live consists of the towns of Ama and Nishinoshima and the village of Chibu.
Okamoto: Douzen is also a treasure trove of famous places and historical sites, like Oki Shrine in Ama, the red rock walls in Chibu, and the Matengai Cliffs in Nishinoshima.
Kondo: Moreover, the entire Douzen Islands have been designated as a national park, so you can see many different kinds of rare plants and animals here. And, we are also blessed with fresh seafood that you don’t get to eat often in the larger cities.
Kawamoto: In recent years, many products from the area have been shipped all over the country, including the Haruka oysters, Densetsu squid, and Oki beef.
Okamoto: But! Douzen is also struggling with a big problem. And that is a drastic decline in the population. Due to many of the young people leaving the islands, the population that was about 8,000 people 20 years ago is now about 6,000 people.
Kawamoto: And because of that, the number of students at our school, Oki Douzen High School, has also dramatically decreased. Now a whole grade is just one class of students. With only 91 students total, it may be difficult to keep the school going.
Kondo: In order to solve this issue the countryside faces and save our Douzen, we came up with our plan entitled, “Connections! Your very own story of the three Douzen Islands that starts with the people you meet.” Everyone, this plan has three main features.
Everyone: The first one!
Okamoto: We won’t have you go to the famous tourist spots! The most charming this about Douzen, above all else, is its people. On this trip, you’ll get your fill of the people of Douzen, and take those connections you’ve made back home with you. Please visit the famous and historical sites on your next trip!
Everyone: The second one!
Kawamoto: The participants of this trip will be 10 middle and high school students from the mainland, and 10 middle and high school students from Douzen. The two groups will travel as one on this trip, building their relationships with each other as the overcome their troubles/worries together.
Everyone: The third one!
Kashiwara: All of the management of this trip will be done by us, the students of Douzen High. WE will show the participants, from the same generation as us, the beauty of the islands on our own!
Kondo: And now, we will start the 5 day, 4 night trip.
They started out their presentation like that, and then it switched gears and unfolded into a mini play. Through their story about the friendships between the high school students raised on the islands and those who live outside them, they showed the charm and appeal of Oki. The mainstay throughout the story was the “people” that Aoyama-san had talked about at lunch. IT was a very fascinating tour plan, represented by their words at the end, “We’ll connect with people, with their hearts, and through that, our feelings will be connected as one. Connections!”
Everyone: Pelase come to Douzen!!
Kawamoto: This concludes our presentation from Oki Douzen High School. Bow!
Everyone: (Lots of applause!)
Matsumoto: Thank you very much! Did all of you guys come up with the details of the plan?
Kashiwara: Yes, we did.
Matsumoto: It’s amazing that you didn’t introduce any of the famous tourist sites.
Kashiwara: Yes, we have some choices we could have used, but we purposely decided not to.
Matsumoto: Why is that?
Kashiwara: The true charm of Douzen is that it’s a place rich with those connections between people and their empathy. We awakened to the idea that the human relationships are our main feature.
Everyone: (lol)
Matsumoto: You were awakened to it~! That’s amazing!
Kashiwara: Douzen also has some famous places too, but if we were to feature those, then they would seem inferior when up against other more overwhelmingly beautiful places like Mt. Fuji. So then we thought that we had to show off something else besides the famous places after all, and we thought that here in Douzen, those relationships between the people are different than the big cities… I really can’t explain it very well…
Matsumoto: That’s not true, you’re doing just fine.
Hanafusa: Hang in there!
Kashiwara: We designed our plan like this because we wanted to show off the wonderful Douzen people to the whole country.
Matsumoto: Eh~! Were there any other schools that designed their plans using connections with people as their theme?
Okamoto: There wasn’t.
Hanafusa: There wasn’t anything that had people as their focus to this extent. There hadn’t been one that rocked the auditorium by saying, “We won’t have you go to the tourist sites!” like ours. It was like, “What on earth are these people saying?”
Matsumoto: Did it cause some murmurs in the audience?
Hanafusa: You could hear them thinking, “What?” couldn’t you? Like, “That’s impossible.”
Matsumoto: It does make quite an impact. To be told right at the beginning, “We won’t let you go!”
Kashiwara: We are born and raised here on these islands, so for us this environment with everyone warmly coming together is just normal, and it’s almost as if we never appreciated or understood that the great thing about Douzen is its people. But Hakanaka-kun, who came to the islands from Osaka and whose original role was played today by our pinch hitter Kondo-kun, he said, “The people are very warm here on the islands. We should show that off.” After he said that, I gradually came to see that the best feature about Douzen is its people after all. And that’s how we arrived at the conclusion that we should show that off.
Hanafusa: That’s how it was (lol)!
Matsumoto: Can I ask, what do you guys think of Hana-chan?
Kondo: Eh!
Okamoto: Can we really say it~?
Kondo: Honestly?
Okamoto: We don’t understand her sometimes.
Hanafusa: Well, it’s ok if that’s all.
Ueno: But, sometimes she does give us good hints.
Sasa: And she scolds us properly when needed.
Matsumoto: Oh~.
Ueno: And when we’re having problems, she gives us hints in just the right way.
Hanafusa: You guys are so great~.
Ueno: But, it’s really true.
Sasa: She really helps us out a lot.
Ueno: I mean, we all would be lost if she disappeared.
Sasa: When it comes down to it, she does what needs to get done.
Hanafusa: Everyone, please tell me more~!
Matsumoto: What about you, Kashiwara-kun?
Kashiwara: Ah, me? Well~ she was our coach for the “Tourism Koushien” and so…. from her higher position, well, slightly higher position…
Everyone: (lol)
Kashiwara: From her slightly higher position, she would sometimes strictly scold us, and other times mess around with us, and…no, I guess I can’t say it.
Matsumoto: I think it’s ok.
Kashiwara: I feel like she is a comrade that worried together with us when, well, when we didn’t have many people helping us.
Hanafusa: Let’s fight! My comrades! Didn’t we fight?
Kashiwara: Yes, she’s someone that fought through it together with us.
Hanafusa: Aww~~ I love you all~! You’re such great kids!
Matsumoto: Tomorrow is finally the day it’s happening. Tomorrow some high schoolers will be coming to the island, right? How many are coming?
Kashiwara: 10.
Matsumoto: Are they all people you’ll be meeting for the first time?
Kashiwara: Not all of them, there are some people we have met before, but for the most part, we’ll be meeting most of them for the first time.
Matsumoto: And how are you feeling about it?
Kashiwara: How am I feeling? …well, I don’t think I’ll ever be more nervous than I was today (lol).
Everyone: (lol).
Hanafusa: Thank you, Matsumoto-san! You helped relax everyone!
Matsumoto: Eh, were you nervous? You all looked very level-headed to me though. So, after this, I was thinking to go see and enjoy more of Ama, but are there any places you think I should see or anyone I should meet?
Students: Eh~ who would be good.
Kondo: For me, it would be Mukoyama-san, who sells rice, and Hata-san, who was the first person I went to for advice when I was assigned to be on cooking duty. Those two are the ones I’d like you to meet the most.
Matsumoto: Why is that?
Kondo: Firstly, because Mukoyama-san got all of the rice prepared right away for the entire 5 day 4 night Connections Trip this time.
Matsumoto: Eh~.
Kondo: And Hata-san, well this is the first time that we’ll be making the food.
Matsumoto: Eh, you guys will be cooking too?
Kondo: Yes.
Hanafusa: With the help of some of the local people.
Kondo: Yes. And she taught us all kinds of things, like who we should ask to help, and some things to keep in mind when getting that help, and the spirit of service.
Matsumoto: I’d like to meet those two.
Hanafusa: We really have no idea what will happen during the Connections Trip, but we’ll leave its destiny up to the island people. Well, and I think a lot of allowances will be made because it’s all being run by high school students.
Matsumoto: That just shows how much the people here are trusting the students.
Hanafusa: That’s true too.
Matsumoto: That’s amazing though. You wouldn’t be able to do it without those relationships. Man, that was really great! I could tell how much you all care about your home island, and that you’re thinking about what you can do to help it get to where you want it to be in the future. It was somehow, really reassuring to see. I don’t think age matters, but I must be about 10 years older than you all. I thought that I also have to shape up too. This time with you gave me a lot of things to think about. I don’t know how things will turn out tomorrow, but since you all worked on it together, please see it through no matter what, have fun, and make some great memories. I think it’d be great if you could make these next 5 days lead to other yet-unknown things in the future. I’m cheering for you. Please do your best.
Matsumoto was given an original t-shirt that was designed by the students. He put on the shirt and took a photo with everyone. As he left the library, he said one last, “Do your best!” to the students.
And off to the next part here!
Masterpost here~
I'm back again for another installation of the book! This weekend it's MatsuJun's trip to the outlying islands of Shimane. Totally unknown part of Japan for me, so I found this one really cool to read about :D
Enjoy!
Matsumoto Jun and the People of the Japanese Islands
Shimane
The island country of Japan is surrounded by the wide ocean. But if you live in a city that’s not near the ocean, you may forget about this fact. More attention has been drawn not only to the convenient city life, but also again to life in the countryside; however, the reality is that many rural areas are still facing a declining population. In the midst of this, Matsumoto Jun chose a journey to the outlying islands.
The start of the trip of connections
First thing in the morning, Matsumoto Jun took a plane from Haneda Airport in Tokyo to Yonago Airport in Tottori Prefecture. From there he traveled by car for almost an hour until he arrived at Shichirui Harbor in Shimane Prefecture. He boarded the 9:30 am ferry, named “Ferry Kuniga,” bound for Hishiura, the port for the Oki Islands. It’s about a 3 hour boat trip from Shichirui Harbor to Hishiura Harbor. He enjoyed the boat trip, periodically going out on the deck, excited about his first time visiting Oki.
Actually, Oki is not the name of one large island, but is a group consisting of the largest island on the north side, Dougo, and a group of islands on the south side called the Douzen Islands, which are Nishinoshima, Nakanoshima, and Chiburijima. The whole group of islands, with these 4 being the main ones, are referred to as the Oki Archipelago.
Matsumoto was heading for Nakanoshima this trip. The entire island of Nakanoshima is considered the town of Ama, in the Oki District of Shimane Prefecture. Why did Matsumoto pick Nakanoshima out of the numerous outlying islands that exist? Part of the reason was that, “despite the declining population of the outlying islands of Japan, this island is for some reason seeing more people move there from the cities,” and most of all, it was simply Matsumoto’s intuition. When this trip was announced, the first thing Matsumoto decided upon was “to go to an outlying island,” but there is said to be over 400 inhabited outlying islands in Japan. Choosing Nakanoshima out of all of those was entirely due to Matsumoto’s sense that there would be some meaningful encounters there. It soon became clear just how perceptive that sense had been.
They arrived at Hishiura Harbor at 12:40. Upon getting off the boat, they were met by Aoyama Atsushi-san (26 years-old) from the Ama Town Tourism Bureau. With the wonderfully smiling Aoyama-san leading the way, the group drove in a car up to the best viewing spot in Ama, Mt. Kinkouji. Looking at the town of Ama while driving up Mt. Kinkouji, 164 meters above sea level, they felt that sense of excitement unique to the start of a journey, and soon they arrived at a building near the summit. There, they saw that lunch was waiting for them, prepared by the Kanyake couple, who moved to Ama from Osaka 3 years ago. The wife was originally from Ama and the husband from Osaka, and when they retired, they decided to move back to Ama. The husband, Kanyake Toshiaki-san, loves fishing and found this island to be the best. Aouyama-san also arranged for one other person to come, Hanafusa Ikumi-san (24 years-old), also known as Hana-chan, who would turn out to be one of the key persons on this trip.
Matsumoto sat down for lunch right after. It was his first experience with wakame (TN: a type of seaweed) shabu shabu, freshly taken from the ocean, served with shiitake mushrooms that the Kanyake-san couple had grown themselves on their property. Kanyake-san said, “wakame changes color quickly when cooked, so eat it right after the color changes,” and sure enough, the wakame changed to a brilliant green color the instant it was put into the boiling water, to Matsumoto’s surprise. He dipped it in ponzu and had a bite, saying, “Ah! It’s delicious! Very crunchy.” It seemed that Matsumoto, who already liked wakame to begin with, really enjoyed it and wound up eating more wakame than anyone else (lol).
While enjoying the meal like this, they once again talked about Ama.
Matsumoto: Aoyama-san, you’re one of the staff members of the Tourism Bureau?
Aoyama: Yes, I am.
Matsumoto: And you’re Hana-chan.
Hanafusa: Aha!
Matsumoto: What do you mean, “aha” (lol).
Aoyama: When we had our “Tourism Koushien” event, Hana-chan led the Oki Douzen High School students quite strongly.
Hanafusa: I didn’t lead them that strongly (lol).
Matsumoto: You don’t work at the school, Hana-chan?
Hanafusa: I go to the school as a member of the Ama Town Educational Committee.
Matsumoto: Are you all no originally from this island?
Aoyama: No, we’re not.
Kanyake: I’m originally from Osaka, but retired from my job and was drawn here by the fishing and starry night skies.
Matsumoto: Eh~, are the stars pretty here?
Kanyake: Very much so.
Hanafusa: They’re very beautiful~.
Matsumoto: What brought you here, Aoyama-san?
Aoyama: I had been going to college in Tokyo, and one of my seniors was going to be moving to Ama, and he brought me here by chance for a visit before he graduated. At that time I met quite a few people here on the island, and thought it was a very close-knit place and I wanted to work here with everyone, so on my way home I barged into the Tourism Bureau asking, “Do you have any jobs here?”
Matsumoto: Eh!? So sudden! Amazing. But, it’s also amazing for a city to say, “Sure, come join us” to someone who just shows up suddenly (lol).
Aoyama: That’s true (lol). At any rate, my boss feels very passionately about his job, so he also talked to me about it quite a bit. Even after I returned to Tokyo for a while, he would always come visit me on his business trips to Tokyo.
Hanafusa: It sounds like he liked you. You’re a nice person, Aoyama-san.
Matsumoto: What was it about Ama that you liked?
Aoyama: I don’t want to use this word lightly… but I always answer “the people.” I took a year off from college to work at a start-up business. It was fun because I enjoy working towards goals, but then I started worrying about the future. Like my company’s sales… and what would come after that. It was around that time that I visited here.
Matsumoto: About how many people have come to this island as you have, Aoyama-san?
Aoyama: About 200 people in the last 5 years.
Matsumoto: 200 people in 5 years coming out to an island is quite a lot, isn’t it?
Aoyama: Compared to the whole country, it’s proportionally extraordinarily high.
Matsumoto: What about you, Hana-chan? Why did you come to Oki?
Hanafusa: Me~? I don’t have a great reason or anything… (chewing)…well, can I first eat some of the kakiage?
Matsumoto: I guess so~ (lol). Have you always just gone at your own pace like this, Hana-chan?
Hanafusa: I get scolded a lot for it, but it never changes.
Matsumoto: But that’s ok, isn’t it?
Hanafusa: Ah~ to hear you say that MatsuJun, I feel much more confident in myself.
Matsumoto: No no, it’s your own responsibility (lol).
Hanafusa: I see (lol). Well, when I graduated college, I wasn’t able to find a job, so I thought, “Ah, I guess I’ll be a bum” and sat around for a month enjoying watching tv. Then my parents yelled at me, “Ikumi! Cut it out and go get a job through Halo Work already!” And then while I was looking for work through Halo Work, I got a call from a college seminar professor one day. He said, “Hanafusa-san, do you have any interest in the islands?” Well of course you would say, “Yes, I do” in order to hear what else he has to say, right? So then he said, “There’s this island out here…” and started explaining about Ama, saying, “If you’re still interested I can keep talking about it.” I thought that since a college professor was talking, I better pay attention and listen, and the more I listened, the more I thought it sounded like fun. Then he said, “If you’re still interested, one of my employees of my company will be going to Ama soon, so you could go with them,” and so I said, “Ok, I’ll go!” It seemed like Ama was also looking for people to start working right away, and my mom would yell at me if I didn’t work (lol), so I said, “I’ll do it, I’ll do it,” and then realized I had to also move here too.
Matsumoto: Eh~
Hanafusa: I’d never been here before and wasn’t even really sure how to write Ama in Kanji, but even so I asked, “Where would I be living?” and was shown to my house. And within a week, I was living there. I’m a weird person.
Everyone: (lol).
Matsumoto: How long ago was all that?
Hanafusa: The year before last.
Matsumoto: And now you’re part of the Ama Town Educational Committee?
Hanafusa: Yes. There are three towns within the Douzen Islands, but there is only one high school, and right now there are about 90 students in the whole school. We only have a small school with just 30 students in each year. Moreover, while the number of children is going down, if the Oki Douzen High School isn’t attractive, then the island’s middle school students won’t choose to attend it, and will go outside the islands. And high school students are energetic, right? Just with having energetic children around, I think the island becomes livelier, and it would be very lonely to have that disappear. So we always want to have a high school here. Then one day I got asked by the school, “We’re going to participate in the ‘Tourism Koushien’ and need your help~.” Once I started helping, I gradually realized how important this work is.
Matsumoto: What kind of event is the “Tourism Koushien?”
Hanafusa: You plan a sort of tour centered around your hometown area.
Matsumoto: Like the tour packages travel agencies offer?
Hanafusa: Yes exactly. And then the best plan is chosen. Last year was the first time it was held, but the other entrants were all students who took classes on tourism or who were attending that kind of vocational school. Oki Douzen High was the only school that was general curriculum only, so it was quite difficult. But at any rate, everyone from the school walked around the three Douzen Islands, taking or drawing pictures, and we put together our tour plan.
Matsumoto: Yes.
Hanafusa: And, well, we never thought that we would actually win…
Matsumoto: You won?!
Hanafusa: We got in first place. Man~ who would have thought we’d be the best in Japan.
Matsumoto: Is it better that I don’t hear the details of the award-winning plan just yet?
Hanafusa: Yes, let’s keep it a secret! And, in the guidelines for the competition, it said that the championship plan *may* be used to create an actual commercial tour, but after we won I was so excited that I misread that and thought, “Oh, they’re going to commercialize it!” and I promised the students it would happen, so I couldn’t go back on that. And so, it’s finally happening tomorrow!
Matsumoto: Eh, eh, what is?
Hanafusa: The actualization of that trip!
Matsumoto: You mean you’re actually going to offer that trip that won the grand prize?
Hanafusa: Yes.
Matsumoto: But then that means that this important event that involves not only the school, but the entire island, is happening tomorrow?
Hanafusa: Yes, that’s what it really means… But you know, the person pulling it forward (me) is this kind of person.
Kanyake: Last year, when you won it was broadcasted here on the islands.
Hanafusa: Yes. It was crazy at that time! We were given a championship flag to take home with us, and when we got back, there were these huge banners hanging at the port saying, “Congratulations to Oki Douzen High School for winning the Tourism Koushien!” At that point the kids were saying, “Hanafusa-san, it’s too embarrassing to get off the boat like this” (lol).
Everyone: (lol)
Hanafusa: I said, “No let’s do our best and get off!”
Aoyama: It was all over the island’s local broadcasting that you were coming back that day. We were in the middle of showing some folks around and got called, “Go to the port~!” When I said, “I’m showing some people around right now,” they said, “What’s more important!!” (lol)
Everyone: (lol)
Hanafusa: And at that time, a boy, who you’ll be meeting later, came to me and said, “I’ve never in my life gotten first place in anything and thought I was no good, but the first time I got first place it was first in all of Japan!” And I thought it was a touching way to be greeted.
Matsumoto: Eh~. Could it be that the high school students will be showing me the plan that won the “Tourism Koushien?”
Hanafusa: Yes. That’s exactly right. Man, but you are such a nice person, MatsuJun. I’m really so glad I was able to meet you today~.
Matsumoto: You’re bringing this to an end (lol)?
Hanafusa: Yes, it’s about time for me to get going. Well, we’re waiting for you anytime~!
Matsumoto: Yes, I’ll see you later then!
And with that they parted with Hana-chan so that she could return to the school beforehand to set up the meeting with Matsumoto and the high school students. They asked Aoyama-san for some advice about what to do after that.
Aoyama: The mountain we’re on right now is the second tallest one on the island. The tallest mountain is called Mt. Atodo, and our island’s local specialty, called “fukugi tea,” is grown there, so how about drinking some tea there while enjoying the view?
Matsumoto: Oh, that’s a great idea.
Aoyama: Also, since there really are all kinds of spots around, it might be interesting to tour some of the temples.
Matsumoto: It’d be great if I could go around to learn more about the island. By the way, is fukugi tea a type of tea that was originally grown here in Ama?
Aoyama: Yes, it is. The name “fukugi” is actually the local word for that type of wood. Do you know what kuromoji is? It’s the wood often used for toothpicks for traditional Japanese sweets. Here that wood is called fukugi, and the tea infused from it has been drunk for many years.
Matsumoto: Oh, it’s the wood! It’s not a tea from the leaves.
Aoyama: There are both, the type that infuses from the branches, and the type made with the leaves. Also, I was hoping tomorrow you would be able to meet the elderly man who is our island’s guide. He lives in the island’s southernmost district, called “Saki.” It was where former Emperor Gotoba went after he was exiled. I thought it’d be good if the elderly man could show you around that area. He’s taken care of me ever since I moved here to the islands, so I’d really like to introduce him to you.
Matsumoto: Oh, (the emperor) was banished to the Oki Islands.
Aoyama: Unlike other islands, rice can be grown here. Water springs up here, and it’s very rich in resources, so it was often used in the past for the banishment of aristocrats. There are a number of graves all over here that don’t quite fit with their surroundings.
Matsumoto: Ok then, let’s go to the high school to start, and decide after listening to the tour plan they created.
The high school students and the trip of connections
After loosely deciding on a plan for the trip around Nakanoshima, they headed over to Oki Douzen High School where Hana-chan and the students were waiting. What would the presentation that won the “Tourism Koushien” be like? Anticipation filled their chests. Perhaps it was because it was spring break, but Oki Douzen High School, located very close to the base of Mt. Kinkouji, was very quiet. Matsumoto quietly sneaked to just outside the library where the students were waiting, in order to surprise them. And then, the moment he opened the door, there came loud shouts and near screams from the students, who hadn’t been told anything about the visit! Hana-chan’s cries of, “everyone, calm down~!” somehow managed to calm them a little, but for a while the students still seemed unable to hide their surprise at this unexpected event.
After Matsumoto explained the goal of this trip and said he wanted to see their presentation, the students complied and showed the presentation that they gave at the “Tourism Koushien.”
Hanafusa: Ok then everyone here at Oki Douzen High School, if you please!
Matsumoto: Please!
Everyone: (Applause)
Kashiwara: And now, we will start Oki Douzen High School’s presentation. Bow! The Oki Archipelago lies in the Sea of Japan, off the coast of Shimane Prefecture, and is split into Douzen and Dougo. The Douzen Islands where we live consists of the towns of Ama and Nishinoshima and the village of Chibu.
Okamoto: Douzen is also a treasure trove of famous places and historical sites, like Oki Shrine in Ama, the red rock walls in Chibu, and the Matengai Cliffs in Nishinoshima.
Kondo: Moreover, the entire Douzen Islands have been designated as a national park, so you can see many different kinds of rare plants and animals here. And, we are also blessed with fresh seafood that you don’t get to eat often in the larger cities.
Kawamoto: In recent years, many products from the area have been shipped all over the country, including the Haruka oysters, Densetsu squid, and Oki beef.
Okamoto: But! Douzen is also struggling with a big problem. And that is a drastic decline in the population. Due to many of the young people leaving the islands, the population that was about 8,000 people 20 years ago is now about 6,000 people.
Kawamoto: And because of that, the number of students at our school, Oki Douzen High School, has also dramatically decreased. Now a whole grade is just one class of students. With only 91 students total, it may be difficult to keep the school going.
Kondo: In order to solve this issue the countryside faces and save our Douzen, we came up with our plan entitled, “Connections! Your very own story of the three Douzen Islands that starts with the people you meet.” Everyone, this plan has three main features.
Everyone: The first one!
Okamoto: We won’t have you go to the famous tourist spots! The most charming this about Douzen, above all else, is its people. On this trip, you’ll get your fill of the people of Douzen, and take those connections you’ve made back home with you. Please visit the famous and historical sites on your next trip!
Everyone: The second one!
Kawamoto: The participants of this trip will be 10 middle and high school students from the mainland, and 10 middle and high school students from Douzen. The two groups will travel as one on this trip, building their relationships with each other as the overcome their troubles/worries together.
Everyone: The third one!
Kashiwara: All of the management of this trip will be done by us, the students of Douzen High. WE will show the participants, from the same generation as us, the beauty of the islands on our own!
Kondo: And now, we will start the 5 day, 4 night trip.
They started out their presentation like that, and then it switched gears and unfolded into a mini play. Through their story about the friendships between the high school students raised on the islands and those who live outside them, they showed the charm and appeal of Oki. The mainstay throughout the story was the “people” that Aoyama-san had talked about at lunch. IT was a very fascinating tour plan, represented by their words at the end, “We’ll connect with people, with their hearts, and through that, our feelings will be connected as one. Connections!”
Everyone: Pelase come to Douzen!!
Kawamoto: This concludes our presentation from Oki Douzen High School. Bow!
Everyone: (Lots of applause!)
Matsumoto: Thank you very much! Did all of you guys come up with the details of the plan?
Kashiwara: Yes, we did.
Matsumoto: It’s amazing that you didn’t introduce any of the famous tourist sites.
Kashiwara: Yes, we have some choices we could have used, but we purposely decided not to.
Matsumoto: Why is that?
Kashiwara: The true charm of Douzen is that it’s a place rich with those connections between people and their empathy. We awakened to the idea that the human relationships are our main feature.
Everyone: (lol)
Matsumoto: You were awakened to it~! That’s amazing!
Kashiwara: Douzen also has some famous places too, but if we were to feature those, then they would seem inferior when up against other more overwhelmingly beautiful places like Mt. Fuji. So then we thought that we had to show off something else besides the famous places after all, and we thought that here in Douzen, those relationships between the people are different than the big cities… I really can’t explain it very well…
Matsumoto: That’s not true, you’re doing just fine.
Hanafusa: Hang in there!
Kashiwara: We designed our plan like this because we wanted to show off the wonderful Douzen people to the whole country.
Matsumoto: Eh~! Were there any other schools that designed their plans using connections with people as their theme?
Okamoto: There wasn’t.
Hanafusa: There wasn’t anything that had people as their focus to this extent. There hadn’t been one that rocked the auditorium by saying, “We won’t have you go to the tourist sites!” like ours. It was like, “What on earth are these people saying?”
Matsumoto: Did it cause some murmurs in the audience?
Hanafusa: You could hear them thinking, “What?” couldn’t you? Like, “That’s impossible.”
Matsumoto: It does make quite an impact. To be told right at the beginning, “We won’t let you go!”
Kashiwara: We are born and raised here on these islands, so for us this environment with everyone warmly coming together is just normal, and it’s almost as if we never appreciated or understood that the great thing about Douzen is its people. But Hakanaka-kun, who came to the islands from Osaka and whose original role was played today by our pinch hitter Kondo-kun, he said, “The people are very warm here on the islands. We should show that off.” After he said that, I gradually came to see that the best feature about Douzen is its people after all. And that’s how we arrived at the conclusion that we should show that off.
Hanafusa: That’s how it was (lol)!
Matsumoto: Can I ask, what do you guys think of Hana-chan?
Kondo: Eh!
Okamoto: Can we really say it~?
Kondo: Honestly?
Okamoto: We don’t understand her sometimes.
Hanafusa: Well, it’s ok if that’s all.
Ueno: But, sometimes she does give us good hints.
Sasa: And she scolds us properly when needed.
Matsumoto: Oh~.
Ueno: And when we’re having problems, she gives us hints in just the right way.
Hanafusa: You guys are so great~.
Ueno: But, it’s really true.
Sasa: She really helps us out a lot.
Ueno: I mean, we all would be lost if she disappeared.
Sasa: When it comes down to it, she does what needs to get done.
Hanafusa: Everyone, please tell me more~!
Matsumoto: What about you, Kashiwara-kun?
Kashiwara: Ah, me? Well~ she was our coach for the “Tourism Koushien” and so…. from her higher position, well, slightly higher position…
Everyone: (lol)
Kashiwara: From her slightly higher position, she would sometimes strictly scold us, and other times mess around with us, and…no, I guess I can’t say it.
Matsumoto: I think it’s ok.
Kashiwara: I feel like she is a comrade that worried together with us when, well, when we didn’t have many people helping us.
Hanafusa: Let’s fight! My comrades! Didn’t we fight?
Kashiwara: Yes, she’s someone that fought through it together with us.
Hanafusa: Aww~~ I love you all~! You’re such great kids!
Matsumoto: Tomorrow is finally the day it’s happening. Tomorrow some high schoolers will be coming to the island, right? How many are coming?
Kashiwara: 10.
Matsumoto: Are they all people you’ll be meeting for the first time?
Kashiwara: Not all of them, there are some people we have met before, but for the most part, we’ll be meeting most of them for the first time.
Matsumoto: And how are you feeling about it?
Kashiwara: How am I feeling? …well, I don’t think I’ll ever be more nervous than I was today (lol).
Everyone: (lol).
Hanafusa: Thank you, Matsumoto-san! You helped relax everyone!
Matsumoto: Eh, were you nervous? You all looked very level-headed to me though. So, after this, I was thinking to go see and enjoy more of Ama, but are there any places you think I should see or anyone I should meet?
Students: Eh~ who would be good.
Kondo: For me, it would be Mukoyama-san, who sells rice, and Hata-san, who was the first person I went to for advice when I was assigned to be on cooking duty. Those two are the ones I’d like you to meet the most.
Matsumoto: Why is that?
Kondo: Firstly, because Mukoyama-san got all of the rice prepared right away for the entire 5 day 4 night Connections Trip this time.
Matsumoto: Eh~.
Kondo: And Hata-san, well this is the first time that we’ll be making the food.
Matsumoto: Eh, you guys will be cooking too?
Kondo: Yes.
Hanafusa: With the help of some of the local people.
Kondo: Yes. And she taught us all kinds of things, like who we should ask to help, and some things to keep in mind when getting that help, and the spirit of service.
Matsumoto: I’d like to meet those two.
Hanafusa: We really have no idea what will happen during the Connections Trip, but we’ll leave its destiny up to the island people. Well, and I think a lot of allowances will be made because it’s all being run by high school students.
Matsumoto: That just shows how much the people here are trusting the students.
Hanafusa: That’s true too.
Matsumoto: That’s amazing though. You wouldn’t be able to do it without those relationships. Man, that was really great! I could tell how much you all care about your home island, and that you’re thinking about what you can do to help it get to where you want it to be in the future. It was somehow, really reassuring to see. I don’t think age matters, but I must be about 10 years older than you all. I thought that I also have to shape up too. This time with you gave me a lot of things to think about. I don’t know how things will turn out tomorrow, but since you all worked on it together, please see it through no matter what, have fun, and make some great memories. I think it’d be great if you could make these next 5 days lead to other yet-unknown things in the future. I’m cheering for you. Please do your best.
Matsumoto was given an original t-shirt that was designed by the students. He put on the shirt and took a photo with everyone. As he left the library, he said one last, “Do your best!” to the students.
And off to the next part here!
Masterpost here~