Aji Island

Aji Island (網地島) is an island in the Pacific Ocean, off the east coast of Honshu, Japan's largest island. Aji Island is situated in the Miyagi Prefecture, southwest of the Oshika Peninsula. Additionally, Aji Island's neighbor Tashirojima is commonly known as "Cat Island" due to its large population of stray cats.

Aji Island is home to many ports including Aji Port which is located at the northern tip of the island, and Nagato Port also known as Futawashi Port lies at the southern tip of Aji Island.

The predominant landscape of the island consists of dense forests, with the vast majority of its land area covering the diverse flora.

There are also historical sites on the island such as the Ogane Shrine, the Kumano Shrine, the Kongoji Temple and the Joshunji Temple.

History
It is estimated that settlements have been present on the island for around two thousand years.

Aji Island is one of the first locations that marked a regular relationship between Japan and Russia, when the local citizens traded with a Russian expedition.

March 2011 earthquake
The epicentre of the major Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on 11 March, 2011 was located off the coast of Aji Island and Miyagi Prefecture. The Tōhoku region, including Aji island, suffered serious damage and further reduced the number of residents on an island already suffering from depopulation. The natural disaster was devastating to the island's economy as well. The locals have been attempting to rebuild the island and increase population levels ever since, through agricultural and society-enriching activities.

Agriculture and rejuvenation efforts
Agriculture is the main focus of the island's rejuvenation. Despite challenges such as an aging population and the impact of natural disasters, locals encourage agriculture and many of them have worked the fields themselves. The goal is for local farmers to make a living with their agriculture. An organisation named ABE (Agriculture Benefit and Empowerment) has been instrumental in promoting self-sufficiency through agriculture, aiming to bolster the island's economy and community resilience. A representative of ABE, Abe Takahiro, has said that it is through agriculture that the island will be revitalized, and the goal of the organisation is self-sufficiency through agriculture.

Principal products
Produce grown on the island consists mostly of sweet potatoes, with efforts underway to diversify agricultural output. With an aging population doing the farming, it seems difficult to find young people who wish to take up the profession.

A variety of fish and seafood are harvested in the waters around the island, including salmon and sea urchin. On July 4, 2014, the sale of Ginzake salmon caught in local waters was reallowed, lifting the restriction on it after the 2011 earthquake. It was first allowed in 2007 and proved to be popular and profitable.

Medical care
There is one hospital on Aji Island: Amishoiin, which was formerly a primary school that was converted to a medical care center. Caring for a rapidly aging population requires consistent medical care and running the hospital is a challenge, despite the need.