Fly to The Volcanic Island of Everlasting Spring With ANATake a short trip from Tokyo to the subtropical getaway of Hachijojima island known for its views, community and whale watching.
For the third installment of our "A New Chapter of Flight" series, we are exploring some of ANA's most remote destinations in Japan. As the country gradually reopening its borders to international travelers looking to explore new destinations, ANA Group would like to introduce some of Japan's best-kept-secrets. These getaways offer breathtaking nature, exceptional experiences and always, a taste of Japan.
Today let's fly to Hachijojima, one of Tokyo's 11 islands.
Hachijojima, "the volcanic island of everlasting spring"
Located less than 180 miles south of the Tokyo metropolitan area, Hachijojima is only a short 55-minute flight from Haneda Airport. Formed by two stratovolcanoes, Mihara-yama and Hachijo-Fuji, Hachijojima is one of the most challenging airports in Japan to land and take off from due to the surrounding oceans which generate unpredictable winds and frequent fog.
Hachijojima sees lots of rain throughout the year and stays relatively warm, earning its nickname of "the island of everlasting spring." Due to its proximity to Tokyo and the friendly subtropical climate, the island was a popular honeymoon destination in the 1960s, winning the recognition as the "Hawaii of Japan." ANA Group's Air Nippon operates three roundtrip flights daily between Hachijojima and Haneda with a team of 30 employees. Takayuki Okuno leads the team, wearing two hats as the station manager and maintenance engineer.
Okuno joined the Group in 1989 as a line maintenance engineer of small-sized jets. He moved to Hachijojima in 2017 to assume his current position.
"The island living is suitable for those who know how to enjoy not having the convenience of city life," he said.
There are no convenience stores or fast-food restaurants on the island and public transportation is limited. However, many Hachijojima residents, including Okuno, consider seeing whales and sea turtles during a quick walk in the neighborhood as an irreplaceable trade-off.
The island also offers a close-knit community where residents look after one another.
"Because people here support each other, residents often share vegetables, fruits and fish they harvest," said the station manager. "The mutual reliance is something they have established by living together with the island's nature that at times can be rough and challenging."
Okuno recommends sitting on the right-hand side of the cabin on the way to Hachijojima from Haneda so one can enjoy a bird's eye view of Ohshima, Toshima, Niijima, Kozushima, Miyakejima, Mikurajima and Hachijojima in clear weather.
Exploring Hachijojima
Popular tourist activities and destinations on Hachijojima include seven hot springs, scuba diving, surfing, fishing, hiking and black sandy beaches. Since the winter of 2015, humpback whales have been spotted every year between November and April near the coasts of Hachijojima, bringing in herds of news cameras and nature enthusiasts during the season.
Most recently, local residents invited a group of young evacuees from Ukraine to the island, hoping to create fun memories of summer in the natural landscape. The participants enjoyed camping and learning native dances to the rhythm of Hachijo-daiko (drums).
Hachijojima's notable local cuisine includes healthy ashitaba herb, kusaya (fermented fish), Shimazushi (marinated sushi eaten not with wasabi, but Japanese mustard) and shochu (distilled spirits).
Rediscovering Hachijojima
Together with local residents, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is branding the 11 islands of Tokyo as the "Tokyo Treasure Islands", to promote the breathtaking nature, history, culture and specialties of the travel destinations.
Last year, a shared office space, Everyone's Secret Base Hachijojima, opened on the island, encouraging "experience-oriented" tourism through workcations and long-term stays.
Okuno has seen an increase in Japanese domestic visitors choosing Hachijojima as their travel destination due to the influence of social media.
"ANA Group would like to contribute to Hachijojima's sustainable future by building a close relationship with the local community and bringing more visitors to the island," he said.
To engage the community, Okuno and his team invited a group of local junior high school students to the airport to teach them about airline operations. They also asked art students to create posters promoting the ANA Group's on-time performance and showcased them throughout the island.
Most importantly, ANA Group continues to work to improve passenger experiences at the Hachijojima Airport so that visitors are encouraged to return to the island and rediscover all the amazing treasures Hachijojima has to offer.