Why I Came to Ojika

If you were to ask people in the West what comes to mind when they think of Japan, the most common answers would be tall, sparkling skyscrapers, bright neon lights, and densely packed streets. Yet the island of Ojika, located far in the South of Japan, defies these expectations. Rather than tower blocks rising into the sky, Ojika’s sheer cliffs line calm beaches. Ojika is populated by diverse wildlife rather than hordes of businessmen. And instead of glowing neon signs, the stars at night light up the island. 

I decided to come to Ojika because I wanted to see a Japan that is off the beaten path, a Japan that the media in the West never shows. When I was first organizing my trip to Japan, I planned to simply travel to some big cities: Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima. But then I thought about tourists that came to Canada, my own country, and how much of a shame it would be if they only traveled to Toronto and Vancouver. In my view, people who simply see the cities in Canada have not truly experienced the country at all; so much of Canadian culture stems from a deep appreciation for nature. I imagined that Japan might be similar, and I resolved to stay in a truly remote and rural area during my time in this fascinating country. When I got off the ferry at Ojika, I knew I was right to do so.

The stark difference between this island and other areas I’ve visited in Japan is immediately noticeable. Not only are the climate, fauna and flora different from that of Honshuu, but the people also give off a unique energy. In my short time here so far, I have been met with nothing but kindness and open hearts. There seems to be a close-knit and hard-working community thriving on the island. I am feeling increasingly thankful that I decided to leave the typical Tokyo-Kyoto touristic path for a while. Coming to Ojika, I feel like I am gaining a much clearer impression of a country with such a deep and complex culture. When we think of countries other than our own we have a tendency to flatten them into simplistic images that are very often completely off the mark. Thus Canada becomes Toronto, politeness and hockey. And Japan becomes Tokyo, neon and futuristic. This is the way Japan has been shown in film, art, and the news in the West for years. But this is simply one very narrow facet of a country that was founded hundreds and hundreds of years before the first European settlers even arrived on the American continent. Getting outside of the typical touristic routes by coming to places like Ojika is a necessity. Ojika has so much to offer. And after all, Japan is just as much Ojika as it is Tokyo.

Kabuki-cho, Tokyo

Kakinohama beach, Ojika

Written by Jasmine Parsons