Tsukishima sits about 200 meters off the coast of Kushima, Miyazaki Prefecture. Fishing once made the small island prosper, but almost no one lives there now, and with no scheduled ferry to the mainland, even residents of Miyazaki Prefecture rarely know it exists.
Four people remain on the island. The school stands abandoned, and an old election notice board is still in place. Travel writer Nana Naka stayed two nights and a day and reported on conditions there, accompanied by Hiroki Tsukishima, who was born on the island and now divides his time between Aoshima in Miyazaki city and Tsukishima.
Empty houses line the streets
Each of the remaining households still has electricity and running water. Tsukishima said the island had gas when he was a child.
“A gas supplier used to bring gas for the islanders to the port, and we all worked together to carry it by boat. But hauling it was hard, and if a fire broke out no fire engine could get here, so for safety the island went all-electric.”Hiroki Tsukishima
Walking from the port toward the residential streets, Naka passed rows of warehouses the islanders once used for fishing. Most are now empty. The houses are much the same, with the great majority standing vacant.
The house where Naka stayed is a two-story building with the sea directly in front and a wide terrace looking out over the water. On fine days, meals are sometimes served outside.
The house was originally a company retreat run by a friend of Tsukishima's father. Tsukishima bought and renovated it a few years ago and has been preparing it to open as a private lodging.