大木家が本土から父島に移住したのは18年前。当時サラリーマンだった父が「小笠原に家族で住もう」と言い出した時、洋さんは中学校に上がる頃だった。もともとミュージシャンでもあり「本当に自由人だった」という父は、自らヨットを手作りし、小笠原に何度か訪れていたという。「ずっと茅ヶ崎に住んでいて『海家族』だったから、嬉しかった」 最初は小さな島の暮らしに馴染めなかったという洋さんも、ウィンドサーフィンを始めるうちに、徐々に島の生活に慣れ親しんでいく。やがて大人になった洋さんは「もっと色々な世界を見てみたくて」島を出て、海外を転々とし、サーフィンをしながら旅暮しを経験した。そして「25歳を過ぎて、やっと島の本当の良さが判った」

バリ島で知り合ったという奥さんの緑さんやお母さん、亡父の相棒だったMeeさんたちと塩作りを始めて１年。「ジジイみたいな仕事だからね（笑）。俺は日本で一番若い『塩屋』なんじゃないの。でも、自分では信じられないような、東京のいい料亭なんかでも使ってもらってる。やっと自分が一生かけて打ち込めるものを見つけた、って感じかな」 洋さんは笑う。ほぼ毎日、午前中は工房で作業するが、波がある日は午後からサーフィンに出かけたり。「島のリズムだよね。この島では他人も自分の人生の一部になっちゃうようなところがある。先のことは今はわかんないけど、周りのみんなと一緒に、これからじっくり島に住んで行ければいいな」

小笠原の塩 http://www.ogasawaranoshio.com/

この記事は、『Papersky』No.8 小笠原特集号（2004/1/25） に掲載されています。 文：井出幸亮　写真：渋谷ゆり
» Papersky No.8, Tokyo Islands Life

そんな豊かな時代の欧米スタイルの生活を送っていた彼が、10才の頃（1968年）、島が日本に返還された。「本土からやって来る日本人の手ぬぐいを巻いた姿が珍しくてね、覚えているなぁ」 日本の学校も設立され、「小学校６年生になって初めて『あいうえお』の書き取りの練習をやった」 中学２年生になった時、彼はどうしても島から出てみたくて、母の出身地・新潟の中学へ通うことに。「最初、学生服のズボンがなかったから、当時は珍しかったブラック・ジーンズを履いて行ったら『すごい奴が来た』って話題になっちゃった（笑）」

その後、東京の大学を卒業した孝さんは1981年、父島役場の採用試験を受ける。「島を離れて暮して初めて、島の自然とか、良さが分かったんだね」 現在は村の地域福祉センターに勤務し、僻地医療で島に看護婦として訪れていた奥さんと知り合い４人の子供を持つ父となった。小笠原とセーボレー家をめぐる、深く運命的なルーツに興味がわき、自分なりに少しづつ家系の調査を続けている孝さんは1990年、ボストンにあるセーボレー家の故郷にも訪れている。「もうすごく寒い所でねえ、先祖がなぜこの島にやってきたのか、その謎が解けた気がしたよ（笑）」

» Papersky No.8, Tokyo Islands Life
　
この記事は、『Papersky』No.8 小笠原特集号（2004/1/25） に掲載されています。 文：井出幸亮　写真：渋谷ゆり

「小笠原諸島での滞在中、僕たちの心のなかには、入り交じったような文化的ノスタルジアが芽生え続けていた。父島で、僕たち一行は、60年代にシアーズのカタログから通販で買物をしていたという男に出会った。母島のジャングルでは、戦時中の‘壕‘や大砲の残骸に出くわしたかと思えば、そのあとでビデオや本までレンタルできるという警察署を発見した。‘ダイビングっていう気分じゃないときのためにね‘ 警官が笑みを浮かべて言う。アイランド・ライフは、ある意味とても映画的な感じがした」（No.8 Editor’s Noteより）

特集誌面では、父島、母島をめぐって出会ったリアルな島の生活や、小笠原固有の美しい自然、そしてこの島で現在を生きる様々な人々の個人史などを紹介している。7月現在、バックナンバーとしてfujisan.co.jpより購入可能。

» PAPERSKY No.8
「トーキョー・アイランド・ライフ 　小笠原、記憶の旅」（2004年1月25日発行）

The Ogasawara Islands of Tokyo Prefecture could be mistaken for a Japanese Garden of Eden, located far out amidst the vastness of the Pacific Ocean. The Islands were uninhabited until 1830, when they were first settled by Americans and Europeans who arrived from Hawaii, the US mainland and elsewhere. In 1861, they came under Japanese control and Japanese citizens began to immigrate. To this day, many people of mixed heritage reside here. Following World War II, the islands passed from Japanese to US control and back again. Many of the islanders who lived on the mainland during the war have returned to Ogasawara, no doubt drawn home by the stunning natural beauty of the place. The history of the islands has been one of constant flux, and among the residents of these little green satellites in the Pacific, personal history is told with a kind of spectacular abruptness and profound sincerity that mirrors the geography of the islands themselves. The “Past & Present in Ogasawara” series originally appeared in Paper Sky No. 8 Tokyo Paradise, January, 2004. This is Takashi Savory’s story.

In 1830, Nathaniel Savoy set sail from Boston and became one of the first people to settle on the islands of Ogasawara. His descendants still inhabit Chichijima, among them Takashi Savory of the family’s fifth generation. Takashi was born in 1957 on Chichijima, after residents with European or American ancestry were allowed to return following their forced evacuation to the mainland. “I went to elementary school with the soldiers’ children, so at home, I spoke a mixture of Japanese and English.” At that time, there was also a movie theater and a tennis court, and at Christmas, someone ordered Jackets and things from the Sears catalog for me.”

Takashi was ten years old when, in 1968, the islands reverted to Japanese control. Having grown up comfortably on the mainland, he was in for some surprises when he arrived back on the island. “The sight of these Japanese people from the mainland with towels wrapped around their heads was so rare, I remember it well.” Japanese schools were also established. “It wasn’t until I was in the 6th grade that I started doing ‘a-i-u-e-o’ dictation.” By his second year of junior high, however, Takashi was ready to leave the island and decided to attend high school in Niigata, his mother’s birthplace. “At first, I didn’t have slacks for the school uniform. I wore these black jeans that were really rare then. Everyone said ‘wow, who’s this guy?’ and I was the talk of the town.”

After he graduated from university in Tokyo in 1981 Takashi sat for the employment examination for Chichijima’s public offices. “It was only after I left the island that I realized how wonderful it is, with its beautiful nature.” Takashi is currently employed at a regional social welfare center where he met a visiting nurse who brought medical care to remote places. They married, she stayed and now the couple has four children.”

Deeply interested in his family’s roots, Takashi went to Boston to see the ancestral hometown of the Savory family. “It’s really cold there. I think I’ve figured out why my ancestors came to the islands!”

The Ogasawara Islands of Tokyo Prefecture could be mistaken for a Japanese Garden of Eden, located far out amidst the vastness of the Pacific Ocean. The Islands were uninhabited until 1830, when they were first settled by Americans and Europeans who arrived from Hawaii, the US mainland and elsewhere. In 1861, they came under Japanese control and Japanese citizens began to immigrate. To this day, many people of mixed heritage reside here. Following World War II, the islands passed from Japanese to US control and back again. Many of the islanders who lived on the mainland during the war have returned to Ogasawara, no doubt drawn home by the stunning natural beauty of the place. The history of the islands has been one of constant flux, and among the residents of these little green satellites in the Pacific, personal history is told with a kind of spectacular abruptness and profound sincerity that mirrors the geography of the islands themselves. The “Past & Present in Ogasawara” series originally appeared in Paper Sky No. 8. Tokyo Paradise, January, 2004. This is Hiroshi Ooki’s story.

A year and several months have passed since Hiroshi’s father Makato was killed in a car accident. Six years ago, Makato opened a salt factory and began making Ogasawara Salt by hand. In the factory that Makato built for himself, water is boiled down in two large, flat pans. The resulting “salt for chefs” has a slightly sweet taste and great texture. It’s a flavor that was perfected after much trial and error. Following in his late father’s footsteps, Hiroshi has spent the last year tackling the business of salt production at the factory.

The Ooki family moved to Chichijima from the mainland eighteen years ago. Hiroshi had just entered middle school when his father decided to try lving on the island. Makato, a salaryman at the time, was an amateur musician who was described by others as a truly free person. He built his own yacht and had already visited the archipelago numerous times when he decided to relocate. “We were a ‘sea family’ and lived in Chigasaki, a beach town in Kanagawa prefecture South of Tokyo, so we were happy about moving.” Hiroshi initially had trouble adjusting to life on the small island, but he soon discovered wind surfing and gradually got used to the place’s distinctive lifestyle. As an adult, however, Hiroshi wanted to see the world and set out from Chichijima. He traveled abroad and surfed while living out of a suitcase. “After I turned 25, I finally came to realize how great Chichijima really is.”

Hiroshi, his wife Midori, Bali, his mother, and his late father’s good friend Mee have just completed their first year of salt production. Hiroshi laughs and says, “It’s like an old codger’s job!” I’m the youngest of the salt sellers in Japan. Some of the best restaurants in Tokyo, however, are using my salt. I can’t even believe it myself. I feel like i’ve finally found something I can devote my life to.” He spends almost every morning working at the factory, but if the waves are good he surfs in the afternoons. “It’s the rhythm of the island. It’s just become part of our daily lives. I don’t know what the future holds, but if we all could continue living here at this pace, it would be just great.”