Aji Island

Aji Island

Native name: 網地島
Aji Island
Geography
Location	Pacific Ocean
Administration
Japan
Prefecture	Miyagi
City	Ishinomaki

Aji Island (網地島, Ajishima) is an island in the Pacific Ocean, southwest of the Oshika Peninsula and in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It is an area of natural beauty, offering isolation from urban life.

History

Tools have been excavated on the island that would suggest there has been human settlement for at least 2000 years. Aji Island is one of the first locations that marked a regular relationship between Japan and Russia when the local citizens traded with a Russian expedition.

March 2011 earthquake

The epicenter of the major Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on 11 March 2011 was located off the coast of Aji Island and Miyagi Prefecture. The Tōhoku region, including Aji island, suffered serious damage and further reduced the number of residents on an island already suffering from depopulation. The locals are now trying to rebuild the island and increase population levels.

Agriculture and Rejuvenation Efforts

Agriculture is the main focus of the island's rejuvenation. Despite challenges such as an aging population and the impact of natural disasters, locals encourage agriculture and many of them have worked the fields themselves. The goal is for local farmers to make a living with their agriculture. An organization named "ABE" (standing for "Agriculture Benefit and Empowerment", It is also a play on words and means "Let's Go". ) has been instrumental in promoting self-sufficiency through agriculture, aiming to bolster the island's economy and community resilience. A representative of ABE, Abe Takahiro, has said that it is through agriculture that the island will be revitalized and the goal of the organization is self-sufficiency through agriculture.

Principal products

Produce grown on the island includes sweet potatoes, with efforts underway to diversify agricultural output. With an aging population doing the farming, it is difficult to find young people who want to take up the profession. The Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami was devastating to the island's economy.

A variety of fish and seafood are harvested in the waters around the island, including salmon and sea urchin. On July 4, 2014, the sale of Ginzake salmon caught in local waters was reallowed. It was first allowed in 2007 and proved to be popular and profitable. After the 2011 earthquake, it was stopped.

Medical care

There is only one hospital on Aji Island: Amishoiin. It is a former primary school that was convented for medical care. Caring for a rapidly aging population requires consistent medical care and running the hospital is a challenge, despite the need.