Go Tokyo Your Experience
An aging island saved by manga: “Takai Kamishima” in the Seto Inland Sea
Takai Kamishima, located in the Seto Inland Sea, once faced severe problems of declining birth rates and aging, and even once stood on the edge of an uninhabited island. However, in recent years, this small island has attracted a large number of tourists through collaborations with comic artists and the use of comic murals, injecting new vitality into the previously dormant island.
The dilemma and turning point of Takai Shrine Island
Takai Kamishima is located in the Seto Inland Sea between Hiroshima and Ehime prefectures in Japan. In the 1970s, the population here reached 190 people.
However, due to inconvenient transportation and scarce job opportunities, the number of residents on the island gradually decreased. By 2007, there were only 50 permanent residents on the island, with an average age of over 70 years old. The aging problem of islands is serious, and there is a risk of uninhabited islands.
In 2007, the autonomous president of Takai Kamishima, Motonari Kimura, invited a medical company owner who loved outlying islands, Riki Nagatani, to land on the island. It was this invitation that became the starting point for Takai Kamishima’s changing destiny.
Manga’s plan to save the outlying islands
After landing on the island, Ryo Hasegabe gradually became aware of the population decline and aging issues facing the island, and was deeply concerned. As a manga enthusiast, Ryo Nagatani had a sudden idea that the influence of manga could attract more young people to visit and even live on the island.
Located in the center of the Seto Inland Sea, there is an island covered in manga murals called Kamishima Takai. Have you sought the consent of the original author? They all exist! I hope more people will know about the existence of this island
So, Nagatani began to contact manga artists and launched the “Manga Mural Project”. In 2016, he first contacted the author of “Island Clinic”, Takatoshi Yamada, and received his enthusiastic support.
Yamada not only provided brand new illustrations, but also personally participated in the design of the murals on the island.
Afterwards, through the connections of Takatoshi Yamada, more and more manga artists joined this project, including well-known manga artists such as Nobuyuki Fukumoto from “The Legend of Gambling”.
Comic murals attract a large number of tourists
The public facilities and vacant houses on the island are gradually decorated with exquisite comic murals, which have not only been officially authorized by the original authors and publishers, but some are even original works tailored for specific walls on the island.
Manga fans are very fond of these works, and the appearance of murals has successfully attracted a large number of manga fans to visit the island, greatly increasing its popularity.
Future plans for Takai Kamishima
In addition to the mural project, Takai Kamishima’s future plans also include opening a manga school. It is expected that in the spring of 2025, this comic school will officially open and hire comic artists involved in mural creation as lecturers.
The school not only teaches manga creation, but also hopes to further enliven the cultural atmosphere on the island and attract more young people to Takai Shrine Island through this initiative.
Through the power of comic art, Takai Kamishima has gradually overcome the challenges of aging and declining population, becoming a vibrant tourist destination. This innovative measure not only preserves the unique style of the island, but also combines comic culture with local vitality, creating a unique successful example.