by Meng Qu

In the Seto Inland Sea, Ogijima (literally meaning “Man Tree Island”)—a small peripheral island with a declining population of about 160 (compared to 280 in 2004)—is experiencing a remarkable transformation. While the Setouchi Triennale art festival has raised the island’s visibility and attracted external attention, it did not drive community-led revitalization by itself. The true catalyst has been the Fukui couple, U-turn migrants who relocated from Osaka to Ogijima in 2014 and dedicated a decade to initiatives that strengthened the island from within.

The Setouchi Triennale helped transform Ogijima into one of the region’s “Art Islands,” drawing visitors and attention from across Japan and abroad. Yet attributing the island’s revitalization outcome solely to the festival overlooks the essential role played by the Fukui couple and local residents. Their sustained commitment to community building, education, and sustainable living created the foundation that allowed Ogijima to fully leverage the opportunities brought by the Triennale.

Over the past decade, the island has attracted more than 60 new residents (around 1/3 of its population), many of whom are families with children. This wave of newcomers revitalized the population and ensured the ongoing operation of the island’s elementary and junior high schools. Neighboring Megijima (literally meaning “Woman Tree Island”) offers a stark contrast: despite similar size, population, and transportation connections, its population has declined to fewer than 100, with few families choosing to settle there. This divergence highlights the importance of community agency beyond external attention.

Japan faces a severe challenge of rural depopulation, particularly on remote islands. Many communities have seen hospitals, schools, and other infrastructure close due to declining populations. Ogijima’s school had shut down years ago. Reopening the school was an extraordinary challenge: it required convincing Takamatsu City—a municipality of over 400,000 residents—to allocate roughly 20 staff members, including ten teachers and ten administrative personnel, to keep a school with only six students running on an island of just over 100 residents. Ensuring the school’s long-term viability further depended on attracting families with children, a challenge faced by rural communities nationwide.

Accompanied by the ultimate decision to reopen the school, in 2016, the Fukui couple established the Ogijima Library in a renovated century-old house. The library serves multiple purposes: it is a space for reading, community gatherings, and cultural activities, and it provides after-school programs and learning opportunities for local elementary and junior high students. For visitors drawn by the art festival, it also offers a café and a welcoming space, fostering interactions between tourists and the island community and integrating tourism with everyday local life. In other words, it serves as the community’s hub, acts as a bridge for people from outside who are considering moving to the island, provides a space for residents and children to interact and learn, and also continuously maintains the island’s vacant houses.

The reopening of Ogijima’s school demonstrates the resilience of collaboration between residents and newcomers. The new generation of islanders—centered around the Fukui couple and other migrants—actively seeks families with school-age children from urban areas. Simply attracting entrepreneurs or tourism-focused migrants boosts labor but does not secure the school’s long-term sustainability. The Fukui couple’s vision extends beyond education. They aim to cultivate a sustainable community where culture, nature, and education coexist harmoniously. Their efforts have inspired others to invest in Ogijima’s future, ensuring the island remains vibrant for generations to come.

Ogijima offers valuable lessons for other rural communities. Its experience underscores the importance of grassroots initiatives, the transformative potential of U-turn migration, and the necessity of comprehensive strategies integrating education, culture, and community development alongside lifestyle and entrepreneurial initiatives. Importantly, Ogijima illustrates that rural revitalization cannot succeed without local agency and clearly defined community priorities—such as the rallying cry, “To ensure the island never falls below 100 residents” and “We need our school back!” No amount of external support can awaken a village unwilling to act, unless its own residents collaborate and invest effort. While studies and media often emphasize the role of migrants, this contribution can be overstated. What truly matters are the changemakers—residents who actively drive transformation. These may include I-/U-turn migrants, lifestyle migrants, entrepreneurs, or frequent visitors such as neighbors and student volunteers.

According to Mr. Fukui, he and the residents, together with neighboring island communities, are now considering including Megijima and Ōshima in their revitalization plans. If Megijima—without nearby neighbors—were to disappear, Ogijima would effectively become isolated. The historical and cultural value of the two islands, long referred to as the “Male and Female Islands” (Ogi and Meigi) cannot be preserved. We look forward to seeing the ongoing efforts and contributions of changemakers in revitalizing the archipelago as a whole. After relocating, many of these newcomers and changemakers are often unable to enjoy the so-called “lifestyle” benefits they had hoped for; on the contrary, they often find themselves even busier than they were in Osaka. We have also witnessed their socially beneficial initiatives beyond simply settling and sustaining life on the rural island. At the same time, a new question emerges: lifestyle migrants and entrepreneurs increasingly face stringent expectations regarding rural revitalization. Sustainable revitalization of these communities cannot rely solely on the voluntary dedication of individuals; broader social, cultural, and logistical considerations must also be addressed.

References and additional resources:

Ogijima Library (English link): https://ogijima-library.or.jp/en/english-information/

David Douglas Stuart (2023). David family’s rural island (Ogijima) migration experience in Japan by Australian multimedia journalist and educator – David Douglas Stuart (from ABC news) Island Note Curated Audiovisual Essays https://www.sicri.net/ruralislandmigration

Qu, M., He, Y., McCormick, A. D., & Funck, C. (2024). Diagnosing uneven revitalisation outcomes among aging communities in Japan’s Island art festival. In E. Papoutsaki & S. S. Niaah (Eds.), Island art and music festivals. University of the West Indies Press, 3-26.

Qu, M., & Zollet, S. (2023). Neo-endogenous revitalisation: Enhancing community resilience through art tourism and rural entrepreneurship. Journal of Rural Studies. 97. 105-114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2022.11.016

Qu, M., McCormick, A. D., & Funck, C. (2022). Community resourcefulness and partnerships in rural tourism, Journal of Sustainable Tourism 30 (10), 2371-2390. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2020.1849233

Meng Qu, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and Deputy Director at the Center for Advanced Tourism Studies, Hokkaido University. His research focuses on the revitalization of rural communities through international art festivals, emphasizing socially engaged art, regional festivals, creative tourism, relational aesthetics, creative in-migrants, sustainability, and rural regeneration. He integrates documentary filmmaking as a method for fieldwork and public engagement. Drawing on interdisciplinary approaches from creative and tourism geography and rural studies, he is currently leading a comparative project on community-embedded art and rural revitalization across the Asia-Pacific and the EU.