Iriomote - the forgotten jungle island
2020 - when Covid19 crossed my travel plans and suddenly flights between Europe and Japan got cancelled - I thought it is a surprise invitation to discover some of the remote islands stretching from Kyushu down south close to Taiwan. Wishful thinking - the 'New Normal' asked people to limit movement within their own prefecture. Eventually, the remote islanders themselves asked not to visit. Probably the frightening images from Europe made them aware of their own situation - a mostly elderly small population on remote islands with limited healthcare facilities, hospitals not to mention. Well, the pandemic waves passed and the health system could handle the situation, as no tourists from the main islands were to show up for two years. However, small remote islands - green dots surrounded coral reefs in deep blue sea - these days mainly receive their income from tourism. So far, so bad, as on my visit now in 2023, a soft landing for local tourism by a natio...