Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Nami Yamana, and I live on Kurima Island. I'm doing some interesting things with the locals on this small island, which is just across the Kurima Bridge from Miyako Island.
I wrote this article because I really wanted as many people as possible to know about the "KURIMA Flower Project ~Sunflower Field of Happiness~," an island-wide initiative that Kurima Island has been working on since 2024.
It all started with a simple statement: "I want to get rid of the trash on the island."
Actually, Kurima Island has a residents' agreement called the "Kurima Island Constitution." It was established with the aim of keeping the island beautiful and making Kurima Island a "village that everyone wants to live in." It contains the following:
Plant at least one bougainvillea flower in the garden of the estate.
Plant flowers in the garden of the mansion.
Leaving weeds and other vegetation in the garden of the property is prohibited.
Yes, planting flowers is a promise made by the residents of Kurima Island. It's no exaggeration to say that the desire to maintain the beauty of the landscape is etched into the DNA of the islanders.
It was in the spring of 2024. The head of the Kurima Island community association expressed this sentiment: "I want to eliminate trash from the island!" He didn't want to just put up signs or create rules, but wanted to change things from a more fundamental level. If the island was beautiful and clean, everyone would naturally develop an awareness of wanting to protect the island's beauty.
The long-held ideal of Kurima Island as an "island of flowers," which the island's constitution has upheld for many years, was launched as a major project in 2024.
The first flower chosen was the sunflower. Its flower meanings are "I gaze upon you" and "radiance." Did you know that the origin of the word "tourism" is "to see the light of the country"? The sunflower is truly that light itself.
And there's another important quality of sunflowers: after they've finished blooming, they return to the soil and become green manure, further enriching the farmland. Bloom, wither, and return to the soil again. This cycle seemed like a message for the future of Kurima Island.
Kurima Island has been transformed into a sunflower field.
The Kurima Neighborhood Association took the lead, and planting began in March 2024.
Near Nagama Beach, close to Musunun Beach, along Hibiscus Street, around Sumryamyaka—seeds were sown in sequence at more than 10 farmlands on the island. Instead of having them all bloom at once, the seeds were sown at different times to allow visitors to enjoy sunflowers for an extended period. The total area sown was tens of thousands of square meters. Yellow flowers began to appear one after another in various places on the small island.
The Miyakojima Kurima Resort Seawood Hotel was quick to introduce this project and distributed a "Kurima Island Sunflower Walking Map" to its guests. This map makes it easy to see at a glance where the sunflower fields are located on the island and when they are in full bloom.
The sunflower field, now in full bloom, has become a popular photo spot and even a location for wedding photography. Its popularity has spread gradually through social media. "There's a sunflower field on Kurima Island!" Tourists visiting Miyako Island have crossed the Kurima Bridge and are now exploring the island specifically to see the sunflowers.
Furthermore, we've even started receiving inquiries about using it as a location for wedding photography. Yellow sunflowers swaying against the backdrop of an emerald blue sea—
Unique photographs that could only be taken on Kurima Island were created. The community association chairman's wish that "if the island is beautiful, a sense of cherishing the island will grow" has come to fruition in this way.
What sunflowers taught me
What was most impressive about this project was the wide range of people who supported us. This included not only the Seawood Hotel, which has accommodations on the island, but also people from outside the island who showed interest, tourists who stopped by after seeing the sunflowers in Miyako Island, and couples who were considering a photo wedding. I witnessed firsthand how people connected with each other, all stemming from just one sunflower. This spring, the meaning of the sunflower, "I gaze upon you," felt incredibly real.
And so, the story moves on to the next stage.
Making sunflowers bloom, filling the island with flowers—that was just the beginning.
Our next dream is to "produce sunflower oil . "
The sunflowers bloom, the seeds are harvested, and oil is produced as an industry on the island. If this cycle is established, jobs will be created on the island, and it will become a place that young people will want to return to. Sunflowers may just change the future of Kurima Island.
We launched a crowdfunding campaign to get support for this new challenge .
Like planting a single seed, would you be willing to lend us a little of your strength in this new challenge? Nothing would make us happier than for you to become a "partner" in nurturing the future of Kurima Island together with us.
▼ We want to create an industry on the island! Please support our initiative to produce sunflower oil.
[Currently working on a project] We want to create an industry on the island! Please support our initiative to produce sunflower oil. [Reward: Irwin Premium Selection]
https://shop-rakuennokajitsu.net/?pid=192061497
In this crowdfunding campaign, we will be offering a limited number of organic JAS-certified Irwin mangoes (top-grade selection), which we have carefully cultivated one by one as if they were our own children, as a pre-order item. We hope that you will savor the bounty of this island paradise while reflecting on the future of Kurima Island.
Kurima Island boasts organic JAS-certified Irwin mangoes (top-grade special selection). Grown under the abundant sunshine of the island, these are a proud product of "paradise fruit."
If you come to Miyako Island, be sure to cross the Kurima Bridge and visit Kurima Island.
During sunflower season (typically December to July), the entire island is dyed yellow. Grab a walking map and stroll around the island; you're sure to capture your favorite photo. We look forward to seeing you on Kurima Island! 🌻
Kurima Island Access Information
- Approximately 5 minutes by car from Miyako Island, across the Kurima Bridge.
– The island is approximately 5km in circumference. Exploring by rental bicycle is recommended.
- Sunflower season: Typically from December to early July (best time to see them is during Golden Week!)
About the Fruits of Paradise
We sell agricultural products and processed goods from Kurima Island. We offer the blessings of the island, including organic JAS-certified mangoes from Miyako Island.
Shop: https://shop-rakuennokajitsu.net/
