Ojika Island Tourism （おぢかアイランドツーリズム）

Ojika Island Tourism is a social enterprise that uses tourism as a tool to battle some of the existing problems on Ojika Island.
The tourism projects managed by Ojika Island Tourism include travel concierge services, outdoor recreational activities, Kominka Stay Program, and Tourist Information Center.

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Hello!
We are Ojika Island Tourismー a nonprofit organization, whose goal is to preserve the beautiful natural habitat of Ojika Island, the self-sufficient lifestyle of its people, and traditions that have sustained generations. We hope to achieve this through community-based, slow, and sustainable tourism.

Sharing the Joy

We have the privilege to call this beautiful placeー our home, and its amazing communityー our family. Every day we are touched by the beauty of nature that is abundant on this island as well as by the kindness of the people who live here. Our sincere wish is that you, too, can experience the joy of living on Ojika Island.

Fighting the Depopulation

Currently, around 2,400 people live on Ojika Island. Its aging population keeps decreasing by around 100 people every year. Young people leave the island after high-school to pursue higher education. Most of them cannot return to the island even if they wanted to due to the lack of jobs available here. Some say it’s just a matter of time until the island becomes uninhabited.
Ojika Island Tourism has set out on a mission to fight the depopulation. We help create jobs in the community, bring in income from tourism, and help energize the local economy.

Supporting Traditional Industries

Besides providing locals with new employment options, we find ways to support the island’s traditional industries of agriculture and fishery. The immersive travel programs that allow visitors to experience farming or fishing provide locals with extra personal income.

Sustainable Tourism

Tourism has historically had devastating effects on the environment, people and their cultural identities. Being aware of this, we are very careful about developing tourism on Ojika Island.
Here visitors will not find any resorts, tourist buses, signboards, and parking lots. We believe that the destination should be valued as it is and not as it is built for visitors.
On Ojika Island locals are involved in producing the service themselves, and every tourism-related decision is talked through with the community representatives. Naturally, tourism revenues are returned to Ojika’s community.
However, while the economic benefits of tourism are obviously important, our top priority will always be the preservation of the island’s cultural heritage.

The Future of Japan

While the bigger cities around Japan are standardized in the name of convenience and efficiency, the out-of-the-way places like Ojika are a real treasure trove of Japan’s cultural heritage. We hope that Ojika Island becomes an example of a rural community that is thriving in the modern world whilst having retained its distinctive landscape and culture.