This program started in 1992, but was cancelled in 2000 due to the COVID-19, and this time we were finally able to conduct the program after 4 years. Since it had been a long time since this program was held, the number of participants and the schedule were kept low. One of the expected participants fell ill on the morning of our departure, so we ended up with a total of five participants (four university students and one high school student) who stayed on the island for seven days.
We stayed in the village of Aff, located in the Tamil community of Yap Island. The village has well-preserved traditions, such as well-maintained stone paths.
Our base of operations was the village meeting hall. It is a one-story building made of new concrete. We began by building a cooking hut and shower house in the back.
The first three days were a time of learning about the wisdom and skills of the local way of life. We made mats for sleeping on the floor by weaving them from large coconut palm fronds. We also learned how to husk a young coconut and drink the juice inside. Coconut milk for cooking is made by grinding and squeezing the copra from old coconuts left on the ground for some time. The fibrous outer part of the coconut is dried and used as a fuel. The participants were amazed at the traditional wisdom of using nature without waste and transforming it into food and tools.
In the middle part of the program, we were given the opportunity to stay with a host family for two days and one night, with each of participant visiting a different family and spending time with them as a family.
They cooked together and played with the children at each home, and were fully accepted into the local lifestyle.
When they returned in the evening of the second day, they had wreaths ont thier heads and were filled with souvenirs, including handmade bags and dinner baskets overflowing with fish, taro, and other delicacies. They returned home with their host families, laughing happily together.
The last days of our stay were busy with activities at sea, participation in local community work, and a farewell party, leaving no time to catch our breath.
The lagoon was not very clear at the shore due to nutrients from mangrove forests and other sources, but once you get closer to the reef, you can see clearly into the shining world. We also joined a local conservation organization, the Tamil Rescue Conservation Trust (TRCT), as they worked to clean algae and mud from the giant clams, which are caged and protected from predators.
The island of Yap has been experiencing a drought since December 2023, with almost no rainfall, and precipitation from January to March is 1/20th of a normal year.
For this reason, the villagers of Aff began digging an old well in an effort to revive a well that had been abandoned for decades in order to secure water for daily use. We were allowed to participate in this community work and dug a hole as deep as our waists. The sticky soil in the valley line stuck to the shovel and made digging difficult to dig, but after about two hours of taking turns with the locals, we were able to dig down to almost shoulder deep.
We were able to see firsthand the effects of global climate change and how residents are working together to respond.
There are two flights per week between Yap and Guam. Both flights operate from midnight to dawn, so we arrived on Sunday morning around 1:00 a.m. and left the island before dawn the following Sunday, a full week’s stay. Although they would have been on the island for some more days, the participants were still amazed at the wisdom and skill of using one thing in many ways, and they also noticed the abundance of learning in the daily life of the island.
We have been informed by another village in the same Tamil community that they can host our group next time. We are looking at the situation and considering the next schedule as the water supply has already started on time due to the water shortage, and also the summer heat is more intense than before.
Three local leaders of an eco-tourism project in the Tamil region of Yap Island, Federated States of Micronesia, implemented by ECOPLUS with support from JICA, visited Japan for training activities from April 3 to 9.
The three who came to Japan were Lubumow (45), Ken(39), and Janice (29), officers of the Tamil Resources Conservation Trust (TRCT), which is engaged in conservation activities in the Tamil municiparity of Yap Island.
After spending 3 days in Guam to obtain visas, they arrived at Narita Airport on the evening of the 3rd. The next day, the 4th, they flew to Miyakejima to stay with Yoshiaki and Yoshiko Unno’s family, who have been involved in ecotourism activities there for a long time. Miyakejima has been battling volcanic eruptions for years. The island’s way of life is deeply rooted in the struggle against eruptions. The group was surprised to see the black ground by volcanic ejecta. Everywhere on the coast and on the land there is a connection to the eruption.
The group was told how the growth of the Oyashabushi tree, which fixes nitrogen in the air into the soil, in a nutrient-poor environment, followed by the growth of silver grass, and then the recovery of vegetation.
The participants were also shown the wisdom of planting the Oyashabushi trees at intervals of several meters to provide nutrients to the soil and to grow ashitaba, a local vegetable.
On the coastal part of the island, we watched the Kuroshio Current lapping against the cliffs. On Yap Island, the entire island is surrounded by coral reefs, and you cannot see the sheer cliffs.
They seemed to have realized the value of their natural environment in the very different scene from Yap, where the calm sea, called a lagoon, surrounded by coral reefs without waves, and white sandy beaches made of crushed coral are the norm.
They seemed to have realized the value of their natural environment in the very different scene from Yap, where the calm sea, called a lagoon, surrounded by coral reefs without waves, and white sandy beaches made of crushed coral are the norm.
In the second half of the tour, we moved to Minamiuonuma City in Niigata Prefecture, where snow still lingers. The three of them actually entered the rice fields where the snow had just melted and experienced the process of spreading wood ash, raising old stubble with three stakes, and rebuilding the edge of the rice field with shovels and hoes.
They also heard explanations of how the water around the rice fields is arranged and how the flow of water is managed and maintained.
On Yap Island, the staple food is taro and wetlands like rice paddies are managed as taro fields.
They seem different, but they do similar things, Lubumow said in his reflections.
Ecotourism is interpreted and developed in many different ways around the world.
It seemed that understanding the relationship between nature and traditional lifestyles in a given place and looking for clues for the next sustainable future would be the axis of ecotourism in Yap Island.
Celebrating 30th year since ECOPLUS started the program in Yap, Micronesia and Kaohagan in the Philippines, a big reunion was held online on Sept. 4, 2021. Ex-participants who were elementary students to early 20s were now well grown adults living in all over Japan and the world from Hokkaido to Okinawa, US, Europe, Australia and other Asian countries. All of those enjoyed talking with old friends doing the session.
I addition to the ex-participants and supporting staff, we had Tina, Linda, both participated invitation tour to Japan in 1997, and En, Sean, both participated Japan tour in 2013, 17 and 19, from Yap.
Under the direction of Nigatsu, participated in 1994, and Daisuke, participated in 1999, the event was proceeded. TAKANO Takako, executive director of ECOPLUS had a presentation about the situation of Yap and Kaohagan. OHMAE Jun-ichi, Manager of ECOPLUS, explained about it projects in Yap for sustainable future.
Based on the year of participation, we broke out into 18 sessions. Some were first time to join in such reunion but participants clearly identified each other with old memory and chatting were not easy to be stopped.
In the second general session, messages from Yap were given then 4 ex-participants had short talk about their life after the program. One person working for a Japanese trading company stationed in Australia said “I leaned the way to hear the voice from the different culture in the program. It was the base for my life. Now the capitalism is seeking the harmonious relations with the nature. It might be the good time for the ex-participants to work together”.
After another breakout session, the event was concluded in two hours and 15 minutes. After the official closing, still we had an half of the participants in the conference room and continued talking.
During the meeting faces of some month old babies to junior high children were repeatedly appeared. In these 30 years, a wave of one generation surely progressed.
“What is the true happiness?” This was the main common theme of our past programs. Through out the session, each person looks like living their life with this question in mind.
The first online conference connecting Yap and Japan was held on Saturday, February 20, 2021. Islanders of Yap joined the conference; Sean Gaarad was from Chuuk, Ivan En was from Pohnpei, Tina Filled was from Guam, and Jeff Marbey and Ezekiel Ken from Yap. From Japan side, in total of 8 persons including ex-participants of Yap-Japan Cultural exchange program joined.
The theme was “How to realize the sustainable society of Tamil municipality, Yap”. In the conference, we had a presentation by Sean and live reports from ocean side of village of Maaq and Merur in Tamil. It was a part of the project called “Sustainable Tamil,” supported by Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund, Japan.
Although Yap now has a submarine fiber optical cable connection since 2019, its local network is still depending on ADSL connection using metal cables. So the connection was unstable, however, viewers from Japan could see the views around their familiar men’s houses with the sound of wind and waves. Participants, some of those joined the program about two decades ago, had very memorable time over the screen.
First, Sean, a core member of the project, introduced the Tamil municipality and reported on the current status of the project.
The cultural characteristics of Tamil are that they respect each other, history and culture are inherited in practical ways such as oral tradition and dances, the community cooperates for a common purpose, and the existence of the family is very important.
In the project, a trial of “ecotourism” was set as one of main goals. Ecotourism aims to create a sustainable tourism that has less impact on the environment and society. In other words, it seeks to benefit both visitors and the community as a whole.
To begin with the preparation for ecotourism, villagers walked around each village to identify the ‘gems’ which are valuable to themselves and also to the visitors. It was meaningful for villagers to learn some histories and natural characteristics in the area.
In addition, it was reported that Maaq and Merur village were ready to host both homestay and group-stay visitors. It was also informed that meetings, about what food would be provided to visitors, would be held in coming weeks.
There is not something “Always showcased luxury” in Tamil but there is something in the living life that can amaze visitors. For instance, fruits, scenery, local dance and so on. In the final discussion, Sean asked Japanese participants which of the five keywords “culture, natural environment, people, accommodation, activities” would be the most interesting to people. The participants from Japan exchanged their opinions to answer the question.
All of the 5 elements are important. To integrate whole experiences would be important.
Target the visitors not like the people who come to Colonia as a ‘tourist’, but those who really want to learn from the locals.
It is good to invite local children and youth to the ecotour. It will be a good opportunity even for them to know how foreigners appreciate the local culture and nature they have, and visitors can also see how the cultures and wisdoms are inherited in Yap.
To see how Yapese people are interacting with each other is the most impressive and important.
It is important just to be in Yap, not buying experience.
How much of the depth of the locality the host would provide to the visitors? For those who visit Yap for the first time, basic facilities such as toilets and showers would be needed or not…
Although the project plan had to change due to Covid-19, it was a good opportunity to know the possibilities to connect online and share the information. (reported by NAOI Saki)
From Ishigaki Island to Yap Island and return to Ishigaki Island
Eco- and Human-friendly society created by Island lifestyle
It has been around 30 years since the “Yap-Japan Cultural Exchange Program” started. More than 400 participants including observers have stepped on the soil of Yap Island. Now, 30 years have passed, how do the people with a common experience in Yap Island have spent time for quarter century and what are they facing now?
As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the program, we are going to start a column series “Seeds sown in Yap” . Here we are going to introduce the subsequent stories of participants, so that we can look back on the value and meaning of Yap island once again and get some hints on how we live and contribute to the creation of a sustainable society in the future.
The first storyteller is TOUME Tomoe, a participant in 1993. She was born and grew up on Ishigaki island in Okinawa prefecture and still lives on the island as a mother of five children. How has her experience in Yap affected her life? The first storyteller is TOUME Tomoe, a participant in 1993. She was born and grew up on Ishigaki island in Okinawa prefecture and still lives on the island as a mother of five children. How has her experience in Yap affected her life?
Program 1993 in Yap island. Tomoe is the third person from the middle right.
Spending time surrounded by nature, tradition and culture.
Weaving is like a meditation. There is joy in creating something by my hands. Spinning thread, tailoring and dying.. Here, we are still tailoring Kimono (a traditional Japanese attire) by ourselves for festivals, starting from growing hemp.
Online interview with Tomoe
Tomoe has been busy raising her five sons on her hometown Ishigaki Island. Besides helping her family’s pineapple farm, she enjoys weaving, supporting after school children care, nature games and starry sky guide.
From Tomoe’s words, you can feel the culture and traditions from the time of Ryukyu kingdom and the breath of nature around her. She has always loved nature since she was a small child.
“I could enjoy seeing creatures, leaves, whatever in nature. I felt like there are treasures all over the place and the earth is shining. I was wondering why I had only one body.”
While she grew up in affluent nature in Ishigaki island, she also had an internal struggle.
“If I loved nature too much, I started hating people. I couldn’t forgive the destruction of nature and environmental problems caused by human. There was a problem with the new airport and red clay around this place. The rain flowed the red clay into the ocean and the water was colored with red which was painful as if blood was flowing.”
She had a hard time when she was highschool and university student to know more and more about environmental problems. She refused the work which benefits humans such as teachers, doctors and farmers and decided to study biology at Ryukyu university. That time she came to know the Yap island programm.
From Ishigaki Island to Yap Island
I happened to see an article about the introduction of the program in the newspaper. It was a tiny article and the submit due date was a day after. That time I saved money by working part-time to go to Africa. So Micronesia was a place where I didn’t plan to visit.
Her instinct led her to make a phone call to Ecoplus even though she didn’t have clear purpose yet. I think a lot of participants of the Yap Island program are connected by chance like her.
There are a lot of similarities between Okinawa and Yap island. As you go from Ishigaki to Guam and Yap, the same plant grows bigger and bigger. Her first impression of Yap Island was to see a way bigger size of familiar leaves in Ishigaki.
“The first activity was to drink coconut juice and weave mat with coconut leaves. We put the weaved mat on the ground and slept together in the same mosquito net. And we made natural flush toilets on the river. We always cooked together. But gradually we used up the food stock and at the end we ate rice with jam! Then local people felt pity for us and brought ready made food such as coconut, crab soup, giant clams and so on. It was very delicious.”
She really enjoyed the life of creating their own life together in Yap island. She explained us as we can imagine the picture of 30 years ago.
Learnings from vegetable garden in Yap Island A way of life that you can get anything you need from nature
During ten days in Yap Island, she had some experiences which influenced her life.
“I strongly remember the memory of my homestay at Rosa’s family. One day she let me visit their vegetable garden. We kept walking in the jungle and suddenly she stopped and said “This is our vegetable garden”. I was surprised because it just looked as same as other parts of the jungle but when I observed it carefully, I could find beans, pumpkin, watermelon and so on. It was so shocking for me to know that they can get whatever they need from nature without deforestation. And I felt the environment is so affluent. We went back home with a weaved basket full of vegetables.”
“We can live if only we have coconut and fish.” These words of local people changed Tomoe who used to hate humans. She had started to think that she could do something for them. “I want to do something for these people, I think I can do something.” “The experience was the most effective for me. If I didn’t visit Yap island, I might be a very disgusting person. I could somehow appreciate everything after coming back to Japan. The learnings from Yap island could gain little by little.”
Tomoe was impressed by the way of life that does not burden the environment and she found out the possibility of sustainable agriculture. She studied Permaculture in the United States and Australia and got the licence as an instructor. Even though she used to refuse to be a farmer, the experiences in Yap island shifted her way of thinking about agriculture as the important connection between humans and nature. Her experience shows us the strength of place based learning and the value of one’s awareness.
Everyone is different, everyone is special.
After she went back to Ishigaki island, she got married and gave birth to 5 sons.
“I wanted to try growing up our children in a natural way. So I gave birth my first son in the hospital but 4 other sons were born at home with my husband’s support. Just as Yappies 3 years old children walk with small knives, I let my children hold a knife and use a saw and screwdriver fleely before they become 1 years old. Some people around me said something to me though.”
After children grow up, she has started working on star guides and nature games for children which is her lifework. The essence of nature games is not the knowledge itself but to feel nature with 5 senses.
“You cannot see the real appearance of the flower once you think of the name of it. I think it is more important to feel the beauty, uniqueness and any other sense of feelings. Nowadays there are some children who have never seen frogs in Ishigaki Island. Sometimes I’m shocked to know some children experience nature itself for the very first time.”
I love the word “Everyone is different, everyone is special”. I can feel the word as the common thing when I am in nature
“But once you look at the society, I wonder how many people understand the meaning of this sentence. I feel it in school especially. My children used to go to school with sandals but it was not allowed by the teacher. I felt constrained. I think it is better if we have space to think how to live and how to work. To understand the feeling of the connection of family, society and earth would lead us to gain the power of how to live.”
Tomoe wants to let her children hold the island’s culture and nature inside themselves. While imagining the scene when she swam with a raft in the sea of Yap at full moon night, she talks about her desire to let her children have such an experience someday.
Thinking of Post COVID-19 era from Ishigaki Island
Now the world is facing the problem of COVID-19, Ishigaki Island is not the exception. What does she think of this situation?
“Now (26th May) the school is closing due to the pandemic, but some people around me are feeling it’s benefits. Children can be relaxed without being stressed with their homeworks. Especially from March to May is a busy season for sightseeing in Ishigaki Island and parents usually leave their children alone. But this year I could see a lot of children and parents playing together. In addition, during this time, various creatures such as giant crabs holding eggs are appearing on the road, and they are run over by taxis and rental cars. It’s painful to see it, but it doesn’t happen this year and I’m feeling like the peaceful days are back here in Ishigaki Island.”
She says every day on Ishigaki Island should not be a congestion but be more peaceful. COVID-19 would give us an opportunity to reconsider the way of sightseeing on the island.
We had 1,480,000 guests to the island with a population of 50,000 last year
“Sightseeing is of course helpful for the economy however, tourists also consume both water and energy. It was actually out of our capacity, I guess. People were able to visit Ishigaki Islands with low cost careers before the pandemic. It causes the people to bring their everyday life to the island rather than enjoying the slow island time. They quickly go around the island and go back without knowing the reality. We want a lot of people to know the wonderful part of our island. That’s why I want to set a limitation of visitors and we want to welcome those who can respect and appreciate our island.”
The impact of COVID-19 has put a heavy burden on our way of movement. Ironically it would lead us to think about comfortable life, the reason for moving and how to respect culture and nature where we visit. This may be true in Yap island too. Tomoe says that a more “friendly society” can be created by communicating, connecting, and respecting people and nature, and creatures.
Hopes to ECOPLUS
“It was a really great opportunity for me to be able to look at human beings which I’ve kept hating, and to have a feeling of being grateful for everything within a week in Yap. I guess I was not a genuine participant but I think that the influence on people can be shown in not intended place and time. I think it is amazing that ECOPLUS has continued providing the real experience for a lot of people. There are also some stories that can only be understood among those who have experienced it. I hope the relationship will last forever.”
Seeds is a good expression. ECPLUS is definitely sowing the seeds.
One seed that has returned to Ishigaki from Yap Island has spread its roots and made soil for new seeds.
Interview by KAWAGUCHI Daisuke, participant of 1999, Translation by NAOI Saki, participant of 2015
