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.

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