Amami's Embrace: A Researcher's Return and the Gifts of Island Ethnography

It's been two weeks already since my return to the southern Japanese archipelago to begin my Japan Foundation Research Fellowship. I chose to start my fieldwork in the south, with Amami Oshima and Okinawa, as my official host university is in Hokkaido and I simply couldn't imagine living in the freezing temperatures of the north for now. However, as I arrived, a cold front swept across Japan, making even the usually mild, sub-tropical islands of the south feel quite chilly.

As soon as I landed, I was greeted with a “welcome home” by my long-time research collaborator, mentor, good friend and Amamian anthologist, who came to pick me up. Having visited here since 2017, returning to Amami filled me with a sense of familiarity and warmth.

I hit the ground running, so to speak. The first week was a whirlwind of reconnecting with local friends and colleagues, networking, and setting up my fieldwork. This time, I'm exploring how local island narratives are changing due to the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site designation and the impact of tourism, not only on the physical infrastructure but also on locals' perception of their eco-cultural identity. In Naze, a new ferry passenger terminal is under construction, and signs of new hotels and other buildings are emerging on the recently reclaimed land by the port. A local eco-warrior expressed concern about this land reclamation and its impact on marine life.

Of course, I began by making the rounds, catching up with friends, colleagues, and acquaintances. I stopped by the Harahabuya shop to say hello and check out the latest habu (the island's venomous snake) inspired designs. I ended up buying a snakeskin ring (because why not?!)

I caught up over okonomiyaki with my good friends, the Hamada couple, who I assist with the Horizon online magazine for the Amami Archipelago. Futoshi-san's updates on his Amamian black rabbit activities are always wonderful to hear, including news of a children's book with a baby black rabbit as the protagonist (of course!) and his new research fellowship with Kagoshima University's Amami Research Station, which allows him to monitor the rabbits' whereabouts 24/7. This news delighted me because Futoshi-san isn't a traditional scholar but rather a local ecologist and photographer. That's the value of having a research station embedded in the island, and I so appreciate their efforts to recognize the value islanders can bring to the study of their own islands.

And it wouldn't have been right if I didn't visit the Westerner's Café and my good friend Wada-san's studio. He once again gifted me a beautiful Buddhist calligraphy, and I finally had the chance to buy his painting of Masks, the central piece of my long blog post about him.

Among my re-acquaintances was the 87-year-old owner of an Amami cuisine restaurant—a tiny place with the biggest flavors of local Amamian food. She runs it with great gusto, always chatty and making you feel like your grandma is looking after you. The food is truly exceptional, and although it was simply too much, I couldn't resist!

Another island connection is Hisadome-san who is the custodian of the island cuisine but also a Yuta expert (the Ruykyu islands shamans). Over lunch in her cafe in the Naze arcade she told me that the islands have retained their true blue zone cuisine and have more centenarians than Okinawa whose cuisine has been eroded by American fast food and tourism industry. Her stories on how local shamanism is evolving were also fascinating including sharing video shots from the recent initiation of a new Yuta in a sacred waterfall where she met her Amamian ancestors. More on that to follow!

As an island ethnographer, you develop so many connections, and even after you've finished that part of your fieldwork and published your research, the people who made it possible become part of your life. Just as our article on the Naon café for the elderly (as a model of community-based care in aging communities) is coming out, we returned to the café and were welcomed warmly, with another beautifully prepared lunch using ingredients from the village. We were delighted to see the initiative thriving, with elderly residents chatting away over food that costs a nominal 100 yen. We left with bags full of goodies, including that amazing homemade Amami miso paste by Shigeno-san, who heads the volunteer team.

We also stopped by the new UNESCO Natural Heritage Visitors Center to check for updates and were told that about 100,000 people visited in the past year. Clearly, the UNESCO designation of Amami's natural richness is having an impact.

Did I mention I hit the ground running? Well, I've been busy with all sorts of things, including recording a podcast for Horizon, the Amami Archipelago's online magazine, with John Manolito Cantù, who fell in love with Amamian shochu and nature a few years ago and ended up bringing his family to live on the island. As an islander myself, I'm always curious to hear what draws mainlanders to small islands. I loved listening to his passion as he described how the local distillery produces kokuto shochu and his love for the island's natural environment.

A big highlight and a new experience for me was registering as a local resident at the municipal office so I could open a post office bank account. This involved navigating a mountain of forms and bureaucracy, requiring a good sense of humor to endure the tediousness. I was apparently the first foreigner to open a post office bank account in Naze, so they were venturing into uncharted territory with me. After several hours (including completing an online application the day before), providing my own seal with my name in hiragana (which I had obtained the previous week in anticipation of needing it – a small note here: seals are being phased out in Japan, but banks still require them), and a trip to the municipal office to formally register as an Amami resident, I finally opened my bank account, and only after the post office had officially closed for the day! They were determined to complete the task, though.

I'm glad I had the seal, as any corrections on the forms required a seal stamp; otherwise, a fresh form had to be filled out. At one point, I was asked to write my name in katakana, which I did, except for one letter, which I wrote in hiragana (Ki is very similar in both alphabets). Alas, stamping the correction with my seal wasn't enough; I had to fill out a new form. They were so sweet though, they brought green tea, and when we left, they offered snacks as an apology for the delay, but it was I who should have been offering them gifts, given how much extra work I caused!

My kind helper, Dr Hareda, the composer of Amamishi official song who is researching local folk singers (and my companion for the day), was thorough, patient, and good-humored, so we laughed a lot along the way. The added bonus of this lengthy process was that, as a registered local resident, I received a discount travel card that allows me to claim heavily subsidized ferry and flight tickets across the southern islands! This card puts Auckland City's transport authority to shame, with its crazy expensive ferry fees to Waiheke Island, where island residents receive no subsidized fares, making it the most expensive ferry ride of its kind.

The special highlight of these first weeks was the Amami Music Concert with shima uta (island folk songs) performances. It was so impactful that it deserves its own post; it truly moved me. There's nothing quite like soulful island music to wash away the stress accumulated from preparing to leave New Zealand and resettling here. I loved the contemporary interpretation of shima uta with drumming, which shows how island music evolves and that amazing closure when everyone stood up and started dancing!

What I love here is my daily routine, which I quickly fell back into. Every morning, I cycle from my apartment (which Kagoshima University's Center for International Island Research kindly provides) across the port to the Amami Research Station office, located on the 6th floor of a purple building with amazing views over Naze city and the port. I love sharing space with people who conduct island research, the camaraderie, the lively conversations, the sea views, the slow pace of life—all contributing to an instant improvement in my intellectual and mental well-being.

I love meeting my friends for lunch at Ananas café in the arcade, snacking on the bursting-with-flavor citrus fruits from my friend Manami's farm, going to local events, and being happy that I have no Wi-Fi in my apartment. This allows me to slow down and read when I'm at home, with my iPhone sitting inactive in my bag, of no value! I love sleeping on a futon on tatami floors in an old-fashioned apartment with sliding paper doors decorated with bamboo leaves, and I love making my miso soup in the evening using the homemade local chucky miso paste and eating natto in the morning. But above all, I love listening to stories—island stories from various people with different backgrounds, all reflecting the richness of this island's deeply rooted identity, connected to its unique natural environment.

The more I immerse myself back on the island, the more stories I discover that I wish I had a lifetime to record and share. Island ethnography is a passion that brings a basketful of gifts!

For a background to my Amami connection see here: https://www.serendipitousencounters.com/.../island-re...