Hatoma
Encyclopedia
Hatoma is a small island of the Yaeyama Islands
, barely 1 kilometer in diameter. It is under the administration of Taketomi District
, Okinawa Prefecture
, Japan
. In local language, the island's name is pronounced Patuma.
Google map
. It is a tiny island, with an area of just 0.96 km², a circumference of 3.8 km, and a population of roughly 60.
Unlike nearby Iriomote
, Hatoma was not infested by malaria
; hence its long-term settlement.
In the early 1900s, Hatoma flourished as a skipjack tuna
fishing port. At that time, the population of the island numbered in the hundreds.
In 1968, because of the declining economic viability of skipjack tuna fishing (partly due to decreased consumption of katsuobushi
due to the use of MSG
in its stead), katsuobushi
(dried and smoked skipjack tuna) processing facilities on the island were shut down, but the demographic decline started well before this.
With the decline of its only industry, the population of Hatoma rapidly shrank. When the population of its only school fell to just a handful, the Taketomi authorities attempted to shut it down. The island residents, however, fought to keep the school open, and succeeded by using an innovative program: households take in the children from mainland Japan who, for reasons of stress or mental difficulties, could not attend a local school, and send them to the school on Hatoma. This program, called Kaihin Ryūgaku（海浜留学） (foster homes), still survives to this day, and the school's doors remain open.
Being a small, outlying island, infrastructure was slow to come to Hatoma; the island did not receive electricity until the 1960s.
Yaeyama Islands
The Yaeyama Islands are a group of islands in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.The isles are the remotest part of Japan from the main islands and contains Japan's most southern and most western inhabited islands.The islands form the southern part of the volcanic Nansei Islands...
, barely 1 kilometer in diameter. It is under the administration of Taketomi District
Taketomi, Okinawa
is a town located in Yaeyama District, Okinawa, Japan. The town includes all of the islands in the Yaeyama District excluding Ishigaki, Yonaguni, and the Senkaku Islands. This includes the islands of Iriomote, Taketomi, Kohama, Kuroshima, Hateruma, and Hatoma...
, Okinawa Prefecture
Okinawa Prefecture
is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. In local language, the island's name is pronounced Patuma.
Google map
Geography
Hatoma is located just north of IriomoteIriomote
Iriomote is the largest of the Yaeyama Islands and the second largest in Okinawa Prefecture after Okinawa Island itself....
. It is a tiny island, with an area of just 0.96 km², a circumference of 3.8 km, and a population of roughly 60.
History
Hatoma has been continuously inhabited for at least several centuries, if not longer. Excavations on the island have shown that until recent times, Hatoma residents subsisted largely on shellfish gathered in the surrounding shallow waters, and vegetables.Unlike nearby Iriomote
Iriomote
Iriomote is the largest of the Yaeyama Islands and the second largest in Okinawa Prefecture after Okinawa Island itself....
, Hatoma was not infested by malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
; hence its long-term settlement.
In the early 1900s, Hatoma flourished as a skipjack tuna
Skipjack tuna
The skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, is a medium-sized perciform fish in the tuna family, Scombridae. It is otherwise known as the aku, arctic bonito, mushmouth, oceanic bonito, striped tuna, or victor fish...
fishing port. At that time, the population of the island numbered in the hundreds.
In 1968, because of the declining economic viability of skipjack tuna fishing (partly due to decreased consumption of katsuobushi
Katsuobushi
is the Japanese name for dried, fermented, and smoked skipjack tuna .Shaved Katsuobushi and dried kelp - kombu - are the main ingredients of dashi, a broth that forms the basis of many soups and sauces in Japanese cuisine.Katsuobushi's distinct umami flavor comes from its high...
due to the use of MSG
Monosodium glutamate
Monosodium glutamate, also known as sodium glutamate or MSG, is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, one of the most abundant naturally occurring non-essential amino acids....
in its stead), katsuobushi
Katsuobushi
is the Japanese name for dried, fermented, and smoked skipjack tuna .Shaved Katsuobushi and dried kelp - kombu - are the main ingredients of dashi, a broth that forms the basis of many soups and sauces in Japanese cuisine.Katsuobushi's distinct umami flavor comes from its high...
(dried and smoked skipjack tuna) processing facilities on the island were shut down, but the demographic decline started well before this.
With the decline of its only industry, the population of Hatoma rapidly shrank. When the population of its only school fell to just a handful, the Taketomi authorities attempted to shut it down. The island residents, however, fought to keep the school open, and succeeded by using an innovative program: households take in the children from mainland Japan who, for reasons of stress or mental difficulties, could not attend a local school, and send them to the school on Hatoma. This program, called Kaihin Ryūgaku（海浜留学） (foster homes), still survives to this day, and the school's doors remain open.
Being a small, outlying island, infrastructure was slow to come to Hatoma; the island did not receive electricity until the 1960s.
Trivia
- Featured in the 2005 Japanese television dramaJapanese television drama, also called , are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including murder romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, and many others...
Ruri no shimaRuri no shima-Synopsis:On Hatomi , a small island in Okinawa state part of Japan's southern sea frontier, the social environment is suffering. With the last student of the elementary school leaving the place, the closing of the school is a virtual given. Mr...
(Ruri's Island), by Nippon TV.