[Why I Travel to Entô] Unexpected Connections Make Us Want to Come Back to the Island | Mr. Naoyoshi TSUZUKI and Ms. Kaori | Ep.06

A journey to Entô is like traveling to a remote and exotic country that can only be reached by ferry.

Even though it is far away, why do I want to visit again and again?

What makes Entô so different and worth visiting?

Guests who are planning to visit the Oki Islands, or those who have already visited, may think this way.

In this series [Why I Travel to Entô], we ask our guests about their reasons for visiting the island and the abundance and light they found during their stay.

This is the second part of the interview with Mr. Naoyoshi TSUZUKI and Ms. Kaori, who enjoy having unexpected encounters on the island.

When asked why they return to the island repeatedly, the couple says, "It's the unexpected connections that make us want to come back."

Click here for the first part:
[Why I Travel to Entô] “I can look at the sea to my heart’s content and enjoy that view while having a meal” Entô guest, Mr. Naoyoshi Tsuzuki and Ms. Kaori. | Ep.05

Text by: Yumiko Shiramizu
Photos by: Naoyoshi Tsuzuki and Kaori Tsuzuki
Interviewer: Nana Sato and Haruo Fujii
Interviewer & Editor: Educare
Translation by: Maia Lee

I Thought He was a Wonderful Person with an Open Mind, and I was Immediately Fascinated by Him.

──　We heard that during your second visit to the island, you spent your time in a slightly different way.

Mr. Naoyoshi　 I visited in November, six months after my first visit. I arrived at Oki Airport, explored around Dogo Island, and then took a ferry to arrive in the evening. Then it was dinner time again!

(He showed us lots of pictures of food on the screen.)

Mr. Naoyoshi　During a conversation with Mr. Fujii (dining staff), we got on the subject of the mandarin orchards in the Saki district, and he said, "I'd love to introduce you to a mandarin orange farmer named Mr. Shiraishi.". Mr. Shiraishi was working as a night watchman at Entô at the time, and Mr. Fujii got in touch with him the next day so we could tour the mandarin orchards.

However, we were worried about how to get to the Saki district, which is at the edge of the island, and whether it would be difficult on an E-bike. Mr. Shiraishi readily agreed to come and pick us up. We took him up on his offer, and he came to Entô to pick us up. Then, we were able to tour the mandarin orchards.

──　That's exciting, how it turned out.

Mr. Naoyoshi　We were given some mandarins to try and learned about the various difficulties involved in managing the fields.

Mr. Shiraishi was very kind and friendly. After the tour, we even visited his house and had tea. While we were there, neighbors brought in fish, and we heard that the night before, there had been a party at Mr. Shiraishi's house, and Mr. Fujii was actually there until the morning (laughs).

I envy how they can live together in harmony, and I was impressed by how strong the community is. Of course, Mr. Shiraishi and Mr. Fujii are both from outside the island, so they probably have many difficulties, but I felt that they have put down roots in the community, including their lifestyle. When we came back from our trip, we ordered a box of Mr. Shiraishi's mandarins.

Ms. Kaori　Yes, we ordered them again this year (laughs).

Mr. Naoyoshi　Mr. Shiraishi's mandarins are delicious! His mandarins are a little small with thin skin, and have a good balance of sourness and sweetness when you eat them. It's like, "These are the mandarins you should put on your kotatsu table!". I felt like I met Mr. Shiraishi, and at the same time, I met the mandarins themselves too.

──　What was it about Mr. Shiraishi that interested you?

Mr. Naoyoshi　It's his personality. Even though it was our first time meeting, he came right away and said, "I'll come to Entô to pick you up!" I thought he was an amazing, open-minded person, and I was instantly fascinated by him. But he's just an average guy (laughs).

Even If There is Nothing, There is Plenty to Appreciate. But Something Happens When You Come to the Island.

──　I don't know what to say, but you seem to be spending your time in an interesting way.

Mr. Naoyoshi　Last summer, I stayed here for the third time. I had previously stayed in June and November but had never been in the sea of Ama Town, so I went to Rainbow Beach with the goal of swimming.

Mr. Naoyoshi　Now that I think about it, during that third stay, I heard that Mr. Shiraishi had become a town council member. It was really big news! I was surprised, or should I say very happy... I felt like I was starting to connect with Ama Town on a personal level, as I could sense the changes in the lives of the islanders.

──　You two have come here many times, but what changes have you noticed in your travels before and after coming to the Oki Islands?

Mr. Naoyoshi　The visits make you want to go back again. Here, you can experience a time and atmosphere that you don't get to experience very often. As my wife said, there's no TV; you can listen to the sounds of nature, and you can sleep with the curtains open at night and feel the sunrise, when you go to Entô you can't help but do those things. I don't think you can find those kinds of things in many other places.

──　You're right, I would prefer to leave the curtains open when I go to sleep at night.

Mr. Naoyoshi　That's right. I want to experience things like that. Also, I would like to make friends on the island like Mr. Fujii and go and see them.

Fujii　As I was serving the food and talking about the producers, I remembered how Mr. Shiraishi had said, "I wonder if any customers would visit." I'm glad I was able to connect them.

Mr. Naoyoshi　Those kinds of unexpected connections make me want to come back to the island again.

Ms. Kaori　Right now, I'm thinking about going to visit Oki Shuzo (sake brewery) on Dogo Island, which Mr. Fujii often recommends. Every time I go to Entô, I feel like I've brought home some homework from what Mr. Fujii says. It sounds like fun homework, so I want to visit the island again, listen to Mr. Fujii's stories, and spend some time here again.

Mr. Naoyoshi　 I don't study the destination beforehand, I just get there and the people and events I happen to encounter there connect like a string of beads.

──　The unexpected encounters you will have on the Oki Islands make you enjoy coming here.

Ms. Kaori　Even if there is nothing, it is enough.

Mr. Naoyoshi　That's true. But... there's always something special when you come to the island (laughs).

Afterword / Conversation with the Staff

Sato　 This summer will be your fourth visit to the island, and I have always wondered why you keep coming back and what aspects of the island attract you. After hearing your story, I realized that Oki is the perfect place to enjoy coincidental encounters without making too many plans.

Mr. Naoyoshi　Yes, that's right. As my wife said, it's the perfect place to reset from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and work.

Mr. Naoyoshi　 I mean this as a compliment, but the Oki Islands are pretty remote, aren't they? And the fact that there's nothing there and a lack of tour attractions can't be something that could be recommended to anyone. Still, if you want to reset your mind and your daily routine, if you want to spend a day doing nothing, or if you want to have some unconventional fun, then this is definitely the place for you! I'd say.

Sato　It's the perfect place to reset... I'm glad to hear that.

Fujii　Actually, the Tsuzuki couple were the first people I was in charge of serving the course with alcohol paring when I started working at Entô.

After that, they visited the island many times, each time trying out different pairings and refining their preferences. As I mentioned during today's talk, the most important things are not forgetting the basics and communicating the best of what Ama has to offer to the guests.

Fujii　While the alcohol pairings will, of course, complement common ingredients, I want to offer something that can't be enjoyed in the city. The dining team is tasked with creating pairings that incorporate things that are interesting and unique to Oki because we are the ones introducing them.

Doing this will create interesting memories of the Entô staff, and unexpected connections will be born through those staff. I feel this could be an opportunity for people to fall in love with Oki, just like Mr. and Mrs. Tsuzuki.

Mr. Naoyoshi　 That's right. When I came to the island for the third time, I heard there is a Kinnyamonya Festival in August. I was told that it is a festival that everyone there can participate in, including tourists and islanders. I wanted to participate in it once, so I decided to visit again in August this year.

──　That will be your fourth visit to the island!

Fujii　If you're here in time for the Kinnyamonya Festival this summer, why not join the Kinnyamonya dance with the team that belongs to Mr. Shiraishi (laughs)?

Mr. Naoyoshi　 Oh, that's great. Shall I contact him?

A journey by ferry to a remote island that feels as far away as a foreign land.

Why do people want to visit it again and again, even though it is so far away?
What kind of values does a remote island have?

"It's enough even if there is nothing there. But when you come to the island, something happens."

"It's like meeting Mr. Shiraishi and meeting the mandarins themselves."

For some people, it is a premonition that something will happen on the island.

A time and atmosphere that cannot be experienced in everyday life.
From these unexpected encounters, each story continues to unfold in a new way.

Click here for the first part:
[Why I Travel to Entô] “I can look at the sea to my heart’s content and enjoy that view while having a meal” Entô guest, Mr. Naoyoshi Tsuzuki and Ms. Kaori. | Ep.05

Mr. Naoyoshi personally wrote the values that Entô values.
Together with our guests, we use travel as an opportunity to light up one's way.

― Writer ―
Yumiko Shiramizu
She was born in the prefecture of Fukuoka. From 2017–2021 she worked as a waitress at a long-established ryokan (Japanese-styled hotel) at Kurokawa Onsen in Kumamoto Prefecture. She came to Ama Town with her pet cat in the summer of 2021 intending to understand the future of tourism through hotels for the first time in her career in the hospitality sector. She's been employed by Ama Co., Ltd. which runs Entô. First, she worked as a housekeeper where she was responsible for cleaning guest rooms and creating spaces. She is also a part of the dining team, where cuisine represents the island's ingredients. Currently, she is working in all departments as a supporter. She's a person who cooks and writes to express her life on the island.

― Interviewer / Photographer ―
Nana Sato
Born in Sapporo, Hokkaido. She spent several years in the United States and became interested in Entô and Ama Town because the hometown of Entô CEO (Atsushi Aoyama) is the same as her. She moved to the island in 2022 after returning to Japan. Even within the company, her taste and style are excellent in the casual pictures she takes of her daily life. She currently works in both marketing and the front desk. Many people are influenced by her flexible mindset in which she lives her life, accepting conflicts, worries, fun things, and challenges with all her might.

Haruo Fujii
Born in Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture. He visited the Oki Islands for a university graduation trip with his friends and decided to move to Ama Town in the spring of 2022. He is a mixologist who is in charge of developing new drinks at Entô Dining. His graduation thesis was based on branding and distribution of conger eel, and he is very particular about it, researching things he is concerned about and repeating the process until he is satisfied. He was born to be a researcher. As someone who expresses the charm of the Oki Islands through food, he continues to explore the knowledge of ingredients and the island’s flavour and cooking methods.


― Interviewer / Editor ―
Takuro Komatsuzaki
Born in Ryugasaki City, Ibaraki Prefecture. He is the representative of Educare LLC. After living in Germany, he now lives in Omori Town, Shimane Prefecture, a town nestled in the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine Site. His family consists of him, his wife, and two chickens.