MYSTERIOUS CHARM OF OJIKA ISLAND

Featured in travel publications as one of Japan’s most elusive and beautiful places, Ojika Island in the Goto archipelago of Nagasaki prefecture exudes a nostalgic and mysterious charm.

It is a place where every spot and corner weaves a tapestry of its past narratives that shaped the island’s culture and the people’s lives.

Many islands surrounding Ojika are unpopulated, mainly due to a lack of infrastructure. For most Malaysian travellers, Ojika Island is off the radar, preferring instead to visit popular cities such as Osaka and Tokyo.

To get to the island, take the Shinkansen high-speed train from Osaka to Hakata station in Fukuoka prefecture, then take the train to Sasebo city in Nagasaki prefecture before boarding a ferry to Ojika Island.

At the Ojika Island tourism office, near the dock, the writer was greeted by Victoria Simkovic, a local tour guide. Simkovic, in her 30s, hails from Lithuania in eastern Europe and has been living on Ojika Island for seven years.

VOLCANIC ISLAND WITH HISTORY OF WHALING

“This is a volcanic island where the soil is red in colour and full of minerals, perfect for planting root vegetables like peanuts and sweet potatoes.

“We also grow melons, which are of high quality and sell them outside the island,” Simkovic told Bernama.

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Bernama’s recent visit to Ojika Island was organised by Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro) Nagasaki and Jetro Kuala Lumpur.

Simkovic said Ojika was a flourishing and prosperous village during the ancient Edo period in Japan, which was associated with its history of whaling.

“Due to the volcanic eruptions millions of years ago, the sea surrounding the island became very shallow and is full of seaweed. Because of this, the sea is rich in marine life and biodiversity.”

Currently, however, Ojika has many abandoned houses and empty spaces due to its ageing population, as the younger population has left for Osaka and Tokyo.

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“But with government support and grants for the tourism industry, younger people are moving back (to the island) to open restaurants, cafes and shops,” Simkovic, who speaks fluent Japanese, shared.

She also said back in the old days, Ojika’s farmers and fishermen were known to be skilled in making sake – an alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice – as a way to complement their income. These days, however, the locals do not make sake anymore.

“Some of our heritage industries are also dying with the ageing population, with only one man in Ojika who still makes smoked fish, sold in grocery stores on the island,” she said.

Today, Ojika Island has a population of approximately 2,300 and about 50 percent are above 65 years old. Most of the islanders are either fishermen or work in the tourism and retail industries.

“The fishermen leave at 6 pm and fish at night, hanging lamps on the boats to attract fish,” Simkovic said.

Even with a significantly decreasing and ageing population, the island’s tourism industry is blossoming with its reputation as a unique and traditional Japanese destination for travellers seeking a tranquil and soulful village experience.

VINTAGE CHARM

Meanwhile, walking through an alley in the quiet streets of Ojika Island, one will spot a 100-year-old letterpress printing shop, Shinkosha, that still retains its rustic charm and vintage ambience.

Shinkosha is now run by Momoko Yokoyama, who is in her 30s, and her family. Yokoyama is a fourth-generation member of the family that owns the printing shop, which still maintains the traditional printing style that existed before the Second World War, despite the digitalisation of technology in the printing industry.

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Yokoyama said the family business started in the early 1920s, and after the Second World War, business boomed as it became the lifeblood of communication for the cities in Nagasaki, devastated by the atomic bombing.

Yokoyama said she is passionate about continuing the family business and retaining the spirit of Ojika Island.

The walls of her shop are lined with typefaces of various sizes, fulfilling the demand for printing cards and flyers for local businesses and the community here.

Another enduring story of a home-grown business that preserves Ojika Island’s heritage and tradition is a peanut processing plant – Ojika Island Produce Processing Plant – where one can experience the process of making and packing roasted peanuts that are sold in Japan.

Ojika Island’s peanuts are unique and prized for their creamy and naturally sweet taste.

Koki Okano, a member of the peanut factory’s operations staff, said although there is keen interest in Ojika’s peanuts to be exported abroad, due to a lack of manpower, production is limited to domestic consumption.

“There is also difficulty in getting manpower outside of the island due to a lack of transport connections. The main modes of transportation to this island from other surrounding islands and other parts of Japan are the ferry and speedboats,” he said during a guided tour of the factory.

The factory was established about 30 years ago and is operated by Ojika Town Public Corporation, which was set up to support the island’s agriculture and tourism industries for the welfare of the townspeople.

WARM ‘OMOIYARI’ CULTURE

To experience the traditional warmth of Ojika Island’s culture, staying in a local family house is a good option. Here is where one can experience the Japanese philosophy of ‘Omoiyari’, which encapsulates the essence of compassion, empathy and thoughtfulness for others.

Visitors can also get to taste the island’s delicacies and participate in the preparation of meals in the kitchen.

The writer had the experience of staying at a traditional local family house, with her host being Yasuyo Udo, 80, a local woman from Ojika Island who turned her home into a homestay for tourists 15 years ago.

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Before leaving Ojika Island, a site you should not miss visiting is the white torrii gate at Madara coast on Madara Island, which is connected to Ojika Island via a bridge.

The white torii, standing on green grass overlooking the East China Sea, invokes a ‘divine gateway’ into another spiritual realm, based on the Shinto religion.

Located near the white torii gate is the second biggest glacial pothole rock formation in the world, considered a sacred site for the Japanese.

Visitors can also rent a bicycle to explore many other interesting sites of Ojika Island, including its rugged and picturesque red coast covered with rich volcanic soil.

So, Ojika Island awaits like a dragon, patiently and silently, beckoning travellers to visit it and discover its secret treasures.