The Person Who Has Lived in Miyakojima for Ten Years

Once upon a time, there was a man named Namioto who was tired of the hustle and bustle of the city. Every day, Namioto rode the same train at the same time, commuted to the same building, and felt deep in his heart that something was always missing.
One day, seeing a photo of Miyakojima sent by a friend, Namioto's heart was deeply moved. The blue sea, the white sandy beaches, and the gentle smiles of the islanders. The thought, "I want to live here," suddenly welled up within him.
Many people warned him, saying it was "reckless" and that he would "regret it," but Namioto made his decision. He quit his stable job in the city and moved to Miyakojima, relying on his savings.
At first, every day was a series of fresh surprises. He was captivated by the beauty of the sea at sunrise, the grandeur of the starry sky, and the warmth of the people. However, he was soon confronted with reality. Jobs were limited, there was the threat of typhoons, the island had a closed-off side, and above all, he learned the harshness of living as a "resident" rather than a tourist.
There were times when he thought about leaving the island. But Namioto held his ground and continued to make efforts to blend into island life. He learned the local dialect, participated in traditional events, and faced the island's challenges. Little by little, Namioto changed from an "outsider" to a "member of the island."
Time passed, and ten years had gone by since he moved. Namioto now ran a small guesthouse and played a role in conveying the charm of Miyakojima to those visiting the island. After a typhoon, he was the first to go help his neighbors, and he had become a central figure in preparing for festivals.
One day, a young person who had newly moved to the island asked Namioto, "After living here for ten years, have you ever had any regrets?"
Namioto looked at the calm sea and replied, "Regrets? No, I don't have any. It hasn't been an easy ten years. But every single day on this island has shaped who I am. I've come to see things I couldn't see in the city, and it taught me what is truly important. This island gave me my life."
Namioto continued, "Ten years since moving to Miyakojima. I might still not be called an 'islander.' But it is certain that I have become a part of this island. And this island has become a part of me."
And so, the proverb "Ten years of patience to take root" spread from this island.
And they lived happily ever after.
That was the preface for the 1055th Namuninai Interview, written on April 14, 2025, at 8:27 PM, which I think is a good way to end it!!!!!

[Preface: qbc / Yasuhiro Kuribayashi (Writer / Organizer of Namuninai Interview)]

Joining us this time is Ryo Obayashi!

Age: Early 40s
Gender: Male
Occupation: Photographer and Tour Guide

Photographer Ryo Obayashi Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/daytrippers_photography/

Halleluyah Tour Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/halleluyah_miyakojima/

Present: People on the island sometimes ask me, "How many years have you lived here?" and when I tell them it's been 10 years, more and more people are saying, "You're an islander now."

Yuipi:
What do you do for a living, Mr. Obayashi?

Ryo Obayashi:
I currently live in Miyakojima, and I work as a photographer while also serving as a land and sea tour guide.

Yuipi:
When did you start those tours?

Ryo Obayashi:
It will be exactly three years this May. I'm in my third year now.

Yuipi:
Could you tell me a little more about the content and overview of the tours?

Ryo Obayashi:
Yes, certainly. For the land tours, I take people around various places in Miyakojima, visiting both tourist spots and hidden gems. For example, my tours often have many families, so I take family photos while we visit each spot. I also guide honeymooners on their trips, and I have many guests from my parents' generation, in their 60s and 70s. There are also solo female travelers. Since people who love cameras come to visit, I guide them around Miyakojima while giving them camera lectures, helping them enjoy taking photos at hidden spots. I customize the land tours quite flexibly according to the customers' needs. Other than that, I do snorkel tours, and the tour where you can see sea turtles is particularly popular.

In terms of land tours, snorkel tours, and the photography department, I do starry sky photography, as well as wedding pre-shoots, ceremonies, and party photography.I also do product photography and photography for hotels, guesthouses, and vacation rentals. But since there are many families, family photos are probably the most common.

Yuipi:
Are you a photographer? Or do you work for a tour company?

Ryo Obayashi:
I've been a sole proprietor for three years. I've always been a photographer, so it's like tour guiding was added to that. I'm working on two pillars now. I'm a photographer who also does tour guiding. I think this pattern is quite common in Miyakojima. As Instagram became popular and influencers and such increased, the number of people doing these kinds of tours—even if they aren't professional photographers, but amateurs—has increased significantly. There are so many operators that I don't even know how many photographers and tour guides there are. In such an environment, I am very grateful to receive requests for photography and tours.

Yuipi:
Was there any particular reason you started doing that kind of work in Miyakojima?

Ryo Obayashi:
Well, I've lived in Miyakojima for 10 years. I'm originally from Moriguchi City in Osaka Prefecture, and about 14 or 15 years ago, I came to Miyakojima for about half a year for a resort job. A few years after that, I decided I really wanted to live in Miyakojima, so I moved here 10 years ago. At that time, I was mainly doing wedding photography as a photographer, and back then, I would guide friends from the mainland around the land for free whenever they visited, or take them snorkeling, so I think it started from wanting to do that kind of work in addition to photography.

Yuipi:
I see. What kind of feelings or emotions do you have toward your work in Miyakojima in general?

Ryo Obayashi:
I met Miyakojima 14 or 15 years ago and have lived here, and I've been taken care of by the islanders a lot. Regarding the charm of Miyakojima, I also worked at the Miyakojima City Hall during these 10 years as part of the Regional Revitalization Cooperation Squad, which is a program under the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. I belonged to the Eco-Island Promotion Division, as Miyakojima City promotes itself as an Eco-Island. So, rather than just having customers travel, I have them contribute to Miyakojima as well. Not only do I convey the charm, but to increase customer satisfaction, I have them pick up one or two pieces of trash after the tour. By having them pick it up at the beach or the parking lot at the site, I try to make them feel like they were able to contribute to Miyakojima. With that feeling,I want to give back to Miyakojima, and since the number of various customers has increased for better or worse over the past few years, I'm working with the hope of creating core fans who truly care about Miyakojima in a good way, even if it's a bit much to call them "high-quality customers."

Yuipi:
Outside of work, for example, is there anything you usually do or anything you like?

Ryo Obayashi:
What do I do outside of work... I usually take photos or go out to look at the sea. Since I'm often out for work, I might spend a lot of time relaxing at home. Sometimes I go out for a drink the night before my day off. Occasionally, customers ask me to go out for a meal together after a tour, so I go then too. I don't really have long stretches of holidays, so I go out for drinks, relax at home, or go out to take landscape photos for my own work. Ten years ago, I used to go swimming in the sea alone, but I feel like I don't really do that anymore. I like both relaxing at home and having a lively time with friends. I've also lost my desire for material things compared to when I was in Kansai (laughs).

Yuipi:
I see. Is there a difference for you between taking photos of people and taking photos of landscapes?

Ryo Obayashi:
Well, taking photos of people versus landscapes... When I take photos of people, I try to make the customer, the other person, feel relaxed and not nervous, and I try to project an atmosphere of me enjoying myself as much as possible, because then they enjoy it too. I try to make them smile, and I focus on capturing them in a state as close to natural as possible, where they might think, 'Wait, were you taking a photo just now?' I don't really do stiff portrait photography; I prefer capturing natural states. Even with family photos, rather than giving instructions like 'stand there facing forward,' I take a lot of scenes of them playing with their children.

Landscape photography can be done at my own pace, so I can think about which place is good at this time of day. Having lived here for 10 years, I know that with this kind of sunlight, the blue of this spot in the Miyako sea will shine. I can take landscape photos at my own pace while thinking about things like that, so that might be the difference compared to people. I'm sorry, I'm a bit worried about whether I'm answering properly.

Yuipi:
No, no. Please feel free to answer in a relaxed manner.

Ryo Obayashi:
Thank you.

Yuipi:
How is it living in Miyakojima now? Including your feelings.

Ryo Obayashi:
I've lived in Miyakojima for 10 years as of last month.Sometimes islanders ask me, 'How many years have you lived here?' and when I tell them it's been 10 years, I'm hearing more often that I'm already an islander. After 10 years, I finally feel like I'm being accepted by the islanders.When I was in the Local Vitalization Cooperator, I received a lot of help and support from everyone, and we deepened our exchanges, so I feel like I've blended into the island, or at least I hope I have. Recently, hearing that from others makes me feel like I've finally settled into Miyakojima or become one of the islanders.

Yuipi:
Is there a difference in how you perceive or imagine Miyakojima between before you moved, after you moved, during your time as a Local Vitalization Cooperator, and while doing your current job?

Ryo Obayashi:
When I came here for a resort job, it felt like I was just coming to enjoy Miyakojima. When I was a Local Vitalization Cooperator, I worked with the feeling of wanting to give back and trying to immerse myself in the island as much as possible. I wonder about now. Ten years have passed, and I didn't want to waste what I did as a cooperator, so I still have a connection with Miyakojima City. After a tour, there are regional coupons issued by Miyakojima City that you get for doing eco-friendly activities. I hand those to customers while telling them about the activities Miyakojima is doing. ButI still have the feeling of wanting to give back, and I'm thinking about how I can contribute even more. I want to contribute in a way that's a bit different from before. That's how I feel right now.

Yuipi:
I'd also like to ask about the personal side. What kind of personality do you think you have?

Ryo Obayashi:
I wonder... people tell me I'm easygoing or calm, so I think I might be like that myself. As for my weaknesses, I have a laid-back side, so I think that might be both a strength and a weakness. Something like that. But I've had various jobs, and I've kind of carved my own path. I've done various things like being a Local Vitalization Cooperator, a photographer, and a tour guide, and I did various things before that too. I think I have an active personality that can move forward on its own.

Yuipi:
What parts of your laid-back nature do you think are strengths, and what parts are weaknesses?

Ryo Obayashi:
Regarding being laid-back, islanders are, for better or worse, relaxed. In that sense, I think it's good that I match the island's time, atmosphere, and this situation in Miyakojima. I don't show my laid-back side at work. When I meet friends at an izakaya in Miyako, I'm always the first one there, and everyone else is usually late. Even for a laid-back person like me, it's surprising. I wonder about these 10 years; maybe it's just when I meet friends that my laid-back side comes out. When I'm with close friends, they might say, 'Ryo-kun, you're a bit laid-back.' I had a bit of that with work colleagues or regarding work when I was young, but I don't think I do now.

Yuipi:
So 'island time' really does exist.

Ryo Obayashi:
Yes, it does (laughs). The thing that surprised me the most when I lived here was that, before eating, it's common for people in Miyako to just take a shower, or even eat something beforehand because they think it's bad to drink on an empty stomach. I was surprised by things like that. Now it's completely normal, and I've gotten used to it. There are actions by Miyako people that you wouldn't think of on the mainland (Honshu). Well, that's also a difference in the culture they grew up in, so it's totally fine. Within 30 minutes is within the margin of error (laughs).

Yuipi:
Then, before moving on to the past section, since you are a tour guide in Miyakojima, do you have any top recommendations for spots in Miyakojima?

Ryo Obayashi:
My top recommendation for a spot in Miyakojima is the 'Miyako Blue' that I want you to see most when you first come to Miyako. There are two airports, Shimojishima Airport and Miyakojima Airport, andthere is a place called 17END next to Shimojishima Airport, which is like a sacred place for Instagrammers. It's been quite popular for a few years now, and on a sunny day, for example, between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM is the best time to see the Miyako Blue. When you go at that time on a sunny day, the blue is so intense that it's almost mind-boggling, and I'm still moved by it even now.

Yuipi:
Oh, I see.

Ryo Obayashi:
If it's someone's first time coming to Miyakojima on a sunny day, that's the first place I'd want them to go.

Past: When I finally got down to what I really wanted to do, I realized it was photography.

Yuipi:
What kind of child were you, Mr. Obayashi?

Ryo Obayashi:
When I was a child? I wonder. I was an energetic kid. I think I was just a normal, smiling child, but I might not have had the personality to be the one leading everyone.It was a very normal childhood, or at least that's how I felt up until elementary school. But I think I was a bright, energetic child who wasn't shy.

Yuipi:
Is there anything you remember vividly from before you started elementary school?

Ryo Obayashi:
Vividly? I wonder. The first thing that comes to mind is going on a field trip to an amusement park. My memories of early childhood are quite faint, but I have a strong memory of going to an amusement park on a field trip with everyone. Like, it was fun. Or remembering the snacks we were often given at kindergarten. We were often given animal biscuits, which are still sold in supermarkets today, and I remember those being a common snack at kindergarten. It's a pretty trivial memory, though. I might not have any truly intense memories.

Yuipi:
So it's more like your daily memories are a bit hazy?

Ryo Obayashi:
That's right.

Yuipi:
How about your memories from elementary school? What was your life like, or was there anything you enjoyed?

Ryo Obayashi:
I lived in Osaka until the first term of first grade, and then my father was transferred, so we moved to Fukushima Prefecture. I lived in Fukushima from elementary school until my second year of junior high. It was a snowy region, and at the time, I really wanted to go back to Osaka because it was too cold. My father used to ski, so he taught me how to ski back then (it was Spartan training), and I got good at it. That later led to me working as a ski instructor—jumping ahead a bit—so I realized how things were connected through that experience. I also did swimming, which naturally led to my current job as a snorkel tour guide. So I've been thinking lately that the skiing and swimming I learned in elementary school are really coming in handy now.

I wasn't shy in elementary school either, and I was just as bright as I was in my early childhood. I spent my elementary and junior high school years like that. From the third year of junior high until I graduated from university, I lived in Okayama Prefecture. I thought moving to the Chugoku region was a different environment, but I enjoyed doing various things there too. I didn't join any clubs in high school because my house was quite far away. In university, I was in a nursing department, so I had practical training, which was tough, but I also had a lot of fun with my friends. That's a very rough summary of my elementary, junior high, high school, and university years.

Yuipi:
I see. Did you join any clubs in junior high school?

Ryo Obayashi:
I was in the volleyball club in my first and second year of junior high, but when I moved to Okayama Prefecture during the exam season of my third year, the boys' volleyball team didn't have enough students, so it didn't exist. For that one year, I thought the safest bet was table tennis. I remembered my father playing it and teaching me, though I don't remember if it was at an arcade or somewhere else. I had a little experience, so I figured I'd just do table tennis. Since my dad played it, I thought he could teach me if I didn't understand something, so I joined the table tennis club for just that one year. I practiced a fair amount, though it was only for a few months since it was exam season.

Yuipi:
Ah, I see.

Ryo Obayashi:
But they let me play in matches. As expected, I lost in the first match; I wasn't good enough to win at all, but it was a good experience.

Yuipi:
It seems like you moved around quite a bit. Did you have any thoughts about that when you were a child?

Ryo Obayashi:
When I was moving from the second to the third year of junior high, I was like, 'Oh, I'm going now,' (laughs). It felt like, 'I'm transferring,' but it was my father's job, so it couldn't be helped. But once I got there, I was the type to make friends pretty quickly. I didn't really have any thoughts that I struggled or had a hard time because of it. I have a personality where I can enjoy myself wherever I go, so I don't think I had any particular hardships.

When I moved to Okayama Prefecture between my second and third year of junior high, it was a bit rural, so for the first time, I saw delinquents wearing long or short school uniforms hanging out at the shrine grounds. On the first day, while my mother and I were on our way to the staff room to introduce ourselves, there was a shrine, and there were about seven or eight male and female delinquents hanging out there. I remember my mother and I talking about how we had moved to quite a place. But maybe because a transfer student was a bit of a novelty, those delinquents were actually quite nice to me, and I spent my third year of junior high in peace (laughs).

Yuipi:
Does that mean the delinquents were students from the same junior high school?

Ryo Obayashi:
Yes, that's right. There was a shrine just before the junior high school. They often hung out there. They were nice to me, and since everyone went their separate ways after high school, it didn't really matter, but I just feel like it was a good thing.

Yuipi:
I see.

Ryo Obayashi:
I remembered that after a very long time.

Yuipi:
Did you go to a nursing care department in college?

Ryo Obayashi:
Yes, that's right.

Yuipi:
Why did you choose that field of study?

Ryo Obayashi:
In both high school and junior high school, I didn't really have anything I wanted to do. During the summer vacation when I moved to Okayama Prefecture in my third year of junior high,I happened to be invited by my homeroom teacher along with about three other students to volunteer at a nursing home. Seeing the caregivers working there, I thought it was really wonderful. I sort of remembered that until I graduated from high school, and when I was thinking about how I didn't have anything I wanted to do, I realized that was it.I wanted to work in nursing care, so I went into the nursing care department and decided to get my nursing care certification; that might have been the trigger.

Yuipi:
How was it when you entered that university?

Ryo Obayashi:
I went to a junior college first, and I got my certified care worker qualification in those two years. Then I transferred to an affiliated university and went to a four-year university for my third and fourth years. But since the university was in the countryside of Okayama Prefecture, the only fun thing to do was to go to a friend's house. It was a very isolated place, you know. If you went a little further, there was Kurashiki or Okayama city. But well, I made a lot of friends during my university days, so I only have memories of it being a lot of fun. I was also able to get my certified care worker qualification.

But personally, maybe my laid-back nature showed its bad side there, and although I was able to get my social worker qualification, I lost my passion for it halfway through. I didn't pass the national exam for social workers, but I started working anyway, and I ended up getting a job as a certified care worker rather than as a counselor. To move the story along, I worked as a professional for about six and a half years, and then I quit and went to do resort work.

Yuipi:
Was there a trigger for quitting the workplace where you worked for six and a half years?

Ryo Obayashi:
During those six and a half years, I traveled around the remote islands of Okinawa, and at that time I was doing photography as a hobby, so I came to love Okinawa and got into photography. I vaguely thought I wanted to work and make a living with that camera. I thought if I didn't quit here, I would start getting promoted to management positions and such, so I felt I wouldn't be able to quit if I stayed. I decided to take the plunge and quit. I quit after six and a half years and went to do resort work, butit wasn't like I quit because I hated nursing care. But after doing nursing care for six and a half years, there were parts of me that couldn't say I 100% loved it as my job. In terms of how much I liked it, it was about 80%. Even towards the end of those six and a half years, I wanted to work hard, but I just didn't have the passion for it. I decided to take the plunge and quit, and I thought I would try going to Miyakojima for half a year.

Before I quit my nursing care job, I traveled to Miyakojima for the first time, around December of my sixth and a half year. At that time, I was asking the owner of the guesthouse where I stayed for the first time in Miyakojima for some career advice. I was talking one-sidedly while drinking, not knowing he was the owner. I thought he was just a guest who happened to be there, but when I asked who he was towards the end, he told me he was the owner. Since I had already told him so much, he said, 'Well, it's December now, why don't you get your affairs in order and come to our place around April?' That was a helper job at the guesthouse. If you live and work there, accommodation is free. And you don't get paid for the work, but you can work other part-time jobs. So, I was enjoying Miyakojima while working at the guesthouse for the first two months, living off my savings. While living off my savings, working at the inn, and dealing with guests, I was able to toast with various guests, though not every night, but occasionally. I was able to connect and interact with many different people.

For the remaining few months after that, I worked at a cafe, and I got paid for that part-time job. Even so, the hourly wage in Miyakojima 10 years ago was extremely low, so it was probably only about 600 or 700 yen. So, my savings were decreasing rapidly, and I thought this was bad. After living there for half a year and feeling satisfied, I decided to go back once. When I was thinking about what to do after returning to Osaka, a friend happened to reach out to me, and I did ski instructor work for two seasons, and I worked as an assistant for a diving service that a friend was running in the Kansai region.I tried doing nursing care work again for a bit. But I realized it wasn't for me, so I quit after about half a year. In the end, when I really thought about what I wanted to do, it was photography.

From there, I worked at Universal Studios Japan for about two years. Since there was a job taking pictures of guests there, I gained experience and trained my mentality to be able to take pictures in front of people without being nervous. After learning customer service for about two years, I went back to Miyakojima 10 years ago. I felt I wanted to do it in Okinawa rather than being a photographer in Osaka, so that's how I came to Miyakojima.

Yuipi:
What did you start with at that timing?

Ryo Obayashi:
There was a senior in Miyakojima who took care of me. He was a designer and also did video and still photography. Originally, when I was working at the cafe, the manager was his wife, and I lived in a guest room at that cafe, so I often drank with the husband there. I knew he did video and still photography, so at that time, I thought there were many rivals on the main island of Okinawa, so if I were to go now, it would be Miyakojima. Since there were few photographers 10 years ago, I consulted with that senior and asked him to let me make a living through photography.

We decided to work together, and at that time, I would get wedding jobs here and there, and I would also go to do part-time nursing care in the morning and evening. So, I returned to nursing care about three times. I trained while connecting my life by doing nursing care work while also doing photography work. That was the first two years or so. Wedding photography was the main thing at the time. Then, around the third year, I learned about the recruitment for the Community Revitalization Cooperation Squad. That senior was working with Miyakojima City. He told me about this recruitment and suggested I try it if I wanted to. That might have been the trigger for applying, as I wanted to repay Miyakojima City since they had taken such good care of me.

Yuipi:
Is it the flow that you started your current job after graduating from the Cooperation Squad?

Ryo Obayashi:
Yes, that's right.The final mission of the Community Revitalization Cooperation Squad was to settle down and, if possible, start a business.I didn't want to work under anyone anymore, as I had worked as a salaryman, at a nursing home, at USJ, and at the city hall. From the point of thinking it might be okay to do it on my own from now on, I started a business as a photographer and tour guide three years ago and became a sole proprietor.

Future: A role to connect to the next generation, such as an environment where Miyakojima can be proud of to the world and young people don't have to leave the island, for the next 10 years or so.

Yuipi:
I would also like to ask about the future.

Ryo Obayashi:
Yes.

Yuipi:
It's about the future. When you think about the near future, the distant future decades from now, and finally the point where you yourself pass away, what kind of image do you have for the future?

Ryo Obayashi:
In the near future, since I am an only child and my parents are separated between Osaka and Miyakojima, I have been taking family photos in the mainland (Honshu) and across the country since last year or the year before. My immediate goal is to be able to create work for myself on the mainland. Since returning to the mainland gives me a chance to check on my parents, and they are both around 70, I hope to be able to work on the mainland while checking on them.

Ten years from now, well. I have been promoting environmental activities and Miyakojima so far. I would like to continue tocreate an environment where Miyakojima can be proud to the world, where young people don't have to leave the island, and play a role in connecting to the next generation over the next ten years or so. It might be presumptuous to say I'm teaching young people something, but I hope I can create opportunities for them.Whether that is through photography, which is my area of expertise, or as a tour guide, I intend to continue doing what I can, plus the island's environmental activities. It's about continuing that into the future.

As for the future, the 10-year mark and after I pass away might have become a bit blurred. I've been thinking recently about what I can pass on to the next generation, to the young people. I don't have something specific yet. If there is something I can pass on, like my work, I would like to do so.

Also, something I want to do is that I am occasionally invited to traditional events and such on the island.I am currently collecting photos of traditional events as part of my own portfolio. Eventually, I would like to turn them into a photo book and donate it to elementary schools or libraries in Miyakojima to leave something behind, and in a way, preserve those good old days as a sort of guidepost for myself. I think it would be great if I could turn that into something. If that makes a young person think, 'I want to try photography too,' and even one person feels that way, I would be happy.I became a professional photographer because I saw a photo book by a photographer I respect, so I would be happy if even one such young person appears.

Yuipi:
What is the fundamental reason you want to pass things on to the next generation and connect them?

Ryo Obayashi:
There are quite a few people in Miyakojima who have made photo books of traditional events and landscapes, but as an immigrant who has lived on the island for 10 years, I am exploring while shooting whether there is something I can convey through my own filter, like a color or atmosphere that only I can bring out. I don't think every photographer will have the same color, nor will they have similar works, but I am donating the photos I took as a record of traditional events to each village (neighborhood association) rather than just a photo book of Miyakojima, to bring out my own color.

So, in that sense, I take photos of traditional events with the hope that I can contribute as a record of each village on this island, free of charge.

Yuipi:
What is at the root of your future actions?

Ryo Obayashi:
What is at the root, well. At the root is definitely the people, the scenery, and Miyakojima as a whole; I feel like I have been greatly accepted by the island. It's not exactly a second home, but I have a feeling of being embraced, a feeling of being accepted.The most important thing is that I have a strong desire to continue contributing to Miyakojima in any form in the future.I hope I can contribute through my camera or my area of expertise.

Yuipi:
You've been talking about wanting to give back since the beginning, haven't you?

Ryo Obayashi:
I'm not sure why it turned out this way. But I think it's because I feel a lot of gratitude toward Miyakojima and the people around me. I've been to many islands, but Miyakojima is my favorite, and there's also the part where I want to contribute to be accepted by the islanders. As an immigrant, I try not to stand out too much. But if I can leave even a small footprint on the island in this life, it would mean it was worth living on the island. Maybe that's it. That might be what leads to the feeling of wanting to give back. My answer might have sounded a bit strange just now.

Yuipi:
In terms of your own mindset, what kind of person do you want to be in the future?

Ryo Obayashi:
In terms of tours and my concept,as I have posted on my website as a tour concept, I advocate for 'tours guided with smiles and sincerity.' I believe I will have many more connections with people in the future, and my mindset is that I want to continue living my life with smiles and sincerity toward everyone.But I try not to think too much about whether I will stay in Miyakojima forever, because thinking about permanent residency becomes a bit burdensome. I have lived my life following my own path so far, which may be good or bad, but I hope to continue moving in the direction I believe in, where I want to go, without worrying or bothering the people around me.

Yuipi:
You mentioned that when you quit your nursing job and were traveling around the remote islands, you consulted the owner of the first guesthouse you stayed at and ended up working there, right?

Ryo Obayashi:
Yes.

Yuipi:
If that series of events hadn't happened, how do you think your life now or in the future would have turned out?

Ryo Obayashi:
I wonder. Even without that, I might have moved to the main island of Okinawa or Miyakojima. I liked Okinawa quite a bit. I had been going abroad a little bit, but it felt like a place where Okinawan culture and American culture were mixed, like being abroad without needing a passport. The Okinawan dialect, the sound of the sanshin, and the various Okinawan cultures, people, and scenery really clicked with me. Even without a guesthouse or such an opportunity, it's possible I would have come to Okinawa anyway.

Yuipi:
I see.

Ryo Obayashi:
It's strange, but I love it so much that I wonder if I was actually an Okinawan in a past life.

Yuipi:
Around when did you start feeling that?

Ryo Obayashi:
I'm not sure. But after I finished a six-month resort job about 14 or 15 years ago and went home, I wondered why I loved Okinawa so much. I felt drawn to it, so I thought maybe I lived in Okinawa in a past life, or maybe I was an Okinawan. I started to feel that way somehow, and I might still think so now.So, even without various triggers, I think I would have been drawn to Okinawa and come here anyway.

Yuipi:
Lastly, I'd like to ask if there's anything you'd like to add. It could be like a final testament looking back on your life, a message to the readers of this article, or your thoughts on this interview. If you have anything, please let me know.

Ryo Obayashi:
Well, to those reading this article: Miyakojima has many charms, and since I've experienced both the superficial and the core parts of the island over these 10 years, if you'd like, please feel free to book my tours or photography services. I'd love to meet you and share the many charms of Miyakojima with everyone. As for my thoughts on the interview, the hour flew by, and your way of drawing things out, Yuipi, made it very easy to talk. On the other hand, I feel like I might have rambled on a bit too much, and there were probably many questions I didn't answer properly. But it was a very fun hour. Thank you very much.

Yuipi:
Yes, thank you.

Afterword

There is something I remember vividly. During the first summer after moving to the land where I live now, I was helping with farm work. When I came out of the greenhouse and looked up, the scenery I saw made me think, 'I was born for this very moment,' and I burst into tears. It was nothing special, just a place with fields and mountains stretching out. There are strange moments like that. I will continue to travel to various places, but I will never stop believing that being here now is not a mistake.
[Interview, Editing, Afterword: Yuipi]

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