Sea and Japan Project Public Relations Office
Let’s learn about the ocean on a deserted island! “Uninhabited Island Marine School” was held!
July 20th (Sat) – 21st (Sun), August 23rd (Fri) – 24th (Sat), September 7th (Sat) – 8th (Sun), 2024 [Location] Saikai City, Nagasaki Prefecture Nishikomachi Kameurago Tajima (uninhabited island) ……
The Sea and Japan Project in Nagasaki will be held from Saturday, July 20th to Sunday, July 21st, Friday, August 23rd to Saturday, August 24th, and Saturday, September 7th to 8th, 2024. On Sunday, through experiences and learning on an uninhabited island that are not normally possible, participants will learn about the challenges of the ultra-enclosed sea area that is characteristic of Omura Bay and the importance of activities to protect the ocean while playing in the sea. For this purpose, we held the “Uninhabited Island Marine School”. The Omura Bay Wonder Bay Project will help you feel closer to the local Omura Bay and create an opportunity to think about the marine environment.
This event is part of the Nippon Foundation’s “Ocean and Japan Project,” which connects people through the ocean in order to pass on the rich and beautiful ocean to the next generation.
Event overview
・Event overview: Uninhabited island marine school
・Date: July 20th (Sat) – 21st (Sun), August 23rd (Fri) – 24th (Sat), September 7th (Sat) – 8th (Sun), 2024
・Venue: Tajima, an uninhabited island located in Kameurago,
Nishikomachi, Saikai City, Nagasaki Prefecture
・Number of participants: 126 people
・Sponsor: General Incorporated Association Sea and Japan Project in Nagasaki ・Co-sponsor: Nippon Foundation Sea and Japan Project
First, let’s learn about ocean safety and Omura Bay!
Tajima is an uninhabited island floating in Omura Bay. Participants stayed for one night and two days and deepened their understanding of Omura Bay through various programs.
At 9:30 on the first day, participants gathered one after another, excited to be staying on a deserted island for the first time, and headed to Tajima by boat.
The boat arrived and the participants landed on Tajima. First of all, in order to have fun and avoid accidents at sea, there are 5 things you should be careful about before going into the sea.
1. Check the weather forecast before going to the beach
2. Check to see if there are any dangerous places in the sea you are going to play in.
3. Bring something that floats, such as a life jacket.
4. If something happens, tell an adult right away.
5. Learn what to do if you are washed away at sea
He emphasized the importance of preparing in advance to avoid accidents. It seems that these five points were something that the participants had not been aware of before, and they all listened intently, nodding their heads.
Next, we learned about the characteristics of Omura Bay and the problems that are occurring. “Omura Bay is a super-enclosed sea area, so it is not easily affected by the outside sea, and it is difficult for garbage to flow into the outside sea.The environment of Omura Bay is easily influenced by the lives of people living in the surrounding area. Therefore, everyone in the area surrounding Omura Bay needs to work together as one team to protect Omura Bay!”, he explained, aiming to raise awareness about solving the problems of Omura Bay.
A stay on a deserted island full of first-time experiences
After lunch, the participants set up their own tents for sleeping. Although some of the participants were experiencing this for the first time, everyone worked together and had fun, and everyone’s tents were successfully completed.
After the tent, we tried building a raft for the raft escape program on the second day. The participants were very interested in learning and experiencing things for the first time. We are taught that it is important to tie the raft securely with a rope to prevent it from collapsing on the sea, but we had a hard time trying to tie it in a way we are not used to! I managed to make it while desperately asking my teacher how to make it.
After the participants completed building their rafts, they went out to the seaside and enjoyed playing on the shore. When the fisherman explained the characteristics of the creatures that live in Omura Bay, the participants listened with great interest. In particular, everyone was surprised to hear that in Omura Bay, where the waves are calm, turban shells don’t have horns because they don’t get caught in the waves.
Dinner is BBQ seafood caught in Omura Bay! Participants who ate grilled yellowfin from Omura Bay exclaimed in surprise, “Fish from Omura Bay is so delicious!”
The sun began to set around 7pm. The participants forgot to eat dinner and were so fascinated by the spectacular view of the sun setting on the opposite shore, painting Omura Bay orange.
When the sun went down and it became pitch black, I went to the beach to observe noctilucans. Participants were on the lookout for noctilucent insects that glow slightly when the sea surface stirs.
Experience the charm of Omura Bay on a raft!
On the second day, the participants woke up at 7am. Breakfast is Omura Bay seafood curry. The participants were surprised, saying, “Adding fish from Omura Bay to your curry makes your regular curry so much more delicious!” and they ordered lots of refills.
After having a hearty breakfast, we picked up trash from the beach. It was explained that microplastics from decomposed plastic trash further pollute the marine environment, and the participants actively picked up plastic trash.
Also, during their overnight stay on the island, participants noticed trash that had been washed ashore by the tide, and they frantically picked up the trash as if they had found a treasure.
Once we have finished picking up the trash, we will finally escape from the island using the raft we made on the first day! Some of the participants looked a little anxious, but the staff explained, “Omura Bay is a closed sea area, so the waves are calm.It’s perfect for enjoying the sea safely.”Then everyone looked relieved. Ta. *For the event held from July 20th (Saturday) to July 21st (Sunday), due to bad weather on the second day, we did not escape from the island by raft, but instead returned to the main island by boat.
After everyone successfully escaped from the raft and arrived on the main island, we looked back on the two days. Participants said things like, “I learned a lot from the sea in Omura Bay for the first time,” “The fish I caught in Omura Bay was more delicious than I expected,” and “I was surprised at how calm the sea was.” It seemed like they were able to appreciate a lot of the charm of the bay.
Feedback from participating children and parents
– Marine plastic is becoming a problem, so I want to make the ocean kinder to living things. I want to pick up a lot of trash. (Elementary school student)
・If the sea is dirty, living things become sick, so I wanted to take care of the sea. (Elementary school student)
・I thought that the sea was muddy because it was dirty, but after listening to the teacher’s story, I realized that just because it is muddy doesn’t mean it is dirty. (Elementary school student)
・After learning about new ways to enjoy the sea, I realized that we must protect the sea. (high school student)
・I learned that the sea of Omura Bay is not very transparent, but it is rich in life. It turns out that Omura Bay can be made free of trash through the efforts of local people and beachgoers. (Parent) -Group Overview-
Organization name: General Incorporated Association Sea and Japan Project in Nagasaki
URL: https://nagasaki.uminohi.jp
Activity details: Requesting companies and organizations within the prefecture to participate in the “Sea and Japan Project in Nagasaki” Sea and Japan Project in Nagasaki Holding events that take advantage of the unique characteristics of Nagasaki Prefecture, etc.
Nippon Foundation “Ocean and Japan Project”
The sea supports Japanese people’s lives in various ways, sometimes giving them peace of mind, excitement, and inspiration. This is an all-Japan project that aims to encourage people across the country, including children, to view the ongoing environmental deterioration of the oceans as their own, and to expand the circle of action to preserve the oceans for future generations. is.
https://uminohi.jp/
“Omura Bay Wonder Bay Project”
Because Omura Bay is a super-enclosed sea area, it is easily affected by the living environment of surrounding areas, so local residents, businesses, and local governments need to work together as one team to foster a sense of protecting Omura Bay. Therefore, the “Omura Bay Wonder Bay Project” was newly launched in 2023. As part of the activities of the Nippon Foundation Sea and Japan Project, this project is promoted to protect the rich and beautiful Omura Bay.