Conversations from Kochi: Ei’ichi Kato (Sea Air Kashiwajima)

Kashiwa Island, located off the southwestern tip of Kochi, might just be one of Japan’s best kept secrets. With crystalline waters so clear that boats appear to be floating on air and an impressive variety of marine life, the island is a diver’s paradise.

“The ocean here is just gorgeous,” says Ei’ichi Kato (37) of Sea Air Kashiwajima. “To me, Kashiwa Island is better than Okinawa!” It’s no easy feat to be able to stand toe-to-toe with　Okinawa, the so-called Hawaii of Japan, but Kashiwa Island manages to do it. The island draws families looking for a day at the beach, divers of all experience levels, fishing enthusiasts, and more, but what drew Ei’ichi, originally from Saitama near Tokyo, was his study of oceanography.

“I’ve always loved marine animals and wanted to study them, so I looked for a university offering oceanography,” he explains. At university, he lived right next to the ocean and spent his spare time snorkeling and diving, gaining his diving license. “Being able to observe fish up-close and in their natural habitat was amazing. It gives you a sense of immersion that you can’t get at an aquarium.”

It was his research for his graduation thesis that led him to Kashiwa Island, home to an oceanography research facility. This, in turn, led him to Sea Air. “I was working at Sea Air part-time while doing my research and the owner invited me to join the team. So, here I am,” Ei’ichi recalls with a grin.

Sea Air offers a range of diving experiences for beginners and licensed divers alike, including a diving license course. “We have beginner diving programs that are for anyone. You would be surprised how many first-time divers aren’t even strong swimmers! You don’t need any qualifications, except not being afraid of getting in the water.”

Beginners’ programs start with a wetsuit fitting before learning the basics from expert staff members, including how to breathe with the diving gear on, what to do if water gets in your mask or if your mouthpiece becomes dislodged, and other skills. After the lesson, visitors head to the diving point. “We don’t immediately start diving once we get to the diving point, however. First, we practice all the things we just taught them in chest-level water, and if there are no issues, then we start diving,” Ei’ichi explains.

“Diving lasts about 30-40 minutes in water about three meters deep to the sea floor. Since Kashiwa Island has such rich marine life, there are tropical fish swimming about even in shallow waters like where we take beginners.” After diving is over, visitors head back to Sea Air for a quick shower to end the day. After diving, he says, visitors should take advantage of the incredible seafood that the waters of Kashiwa Island have to offer, along, of course, with local spirits and sake.

Visitors of all ages come to Sea Air, the youngest being on the tail-end of elementary school, and the oldest being around 70. “We have one regular customer who got their license probably the year I was born and has been coming back ever since! We are really lucky to have such great customers here and everyone always has a good time.”

When asked about a particularly memorable visitor experience, Ei’ichi’s eyes light up. “This actually just happened,” he begins, excitedly, “There was an American tourist who showed up here. He was traveling on a henro pilgrimage and was drawn to the beauty of the ocean around the island, so he came to us and asked if he could do some diving, even for just a little while. So, we went out and did some diving, and before he left, he handed me a tip. It was a dollar bill folded into an origami ring; it was so awesome. I thought, wow, that’s the kind of person I want to be!”

For an activity that requires quite a lot of gear, I was surprised to hear that you could show up without a reservation. “Of course it’s no problem if you don’t make a reservation; however, if you give us a little head’s up, it helps since we have gear we need to prepare and it helps us to know how many people we’re dealing with. But we do get a few people each year that are just so taken by the beauty of the ocean here that they want to go diving,” he says. “All you really need to bring is a towel!” Great news for travelers who likely aren't keen to lug around heavy diving gear.

Having spent seven years in Kochi, I asked him his thoughts on the people there. “I live in a really great place,” he says fondly, “Everyday there is something new to discover in the sea and the people are so warm and friendly. They don’t sweat the small stuff. When I was a university student, I once had some fishermen invite me to join them out drinking. They took an interest in me and asked me where I was from. People here are open to visitors and like making friends.”

The island itself is connected to the prefecture by a bridge, but it’s so close, “you could probably swim there!” Ei’ichi often gets asked if it’s actually an island or not, to which he replies, chuckling, “it is, but barely.” With an area of 0.57 km², it’s “roughly the size of Tokyo Disneyland,” he says, a size comparison you often hear in Japan. Full of beaches, campsites, fishing points, and minshuku (family-run guesthouses), summer is the peak tourism season. But Ei’ichi also recommends early spring and late autumn, just before winter, “The water temperature is colder, but there is so much marine life that you can’t see in the summer and the water is much clearer. There are even some customers who come exclusively during these seasons!”

Speaking with Ei’ichi, one gets the sense that the colorful marine life and sparkling azure waters aren’t the only thing that keep customers coming back: it’s friendly staff members like him and their deep love for Kashiwa Island and all of its inhabitants that win over the hearts of visitors. “Kochi is a huge prefecture,” he says, “it’s impossible to see everything on one trip. I hope that visitors will keep coming back and fall a little more in love with it each time.” Okinawa beware: Japan’s best kept secret is out.

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Sea Air Kashiwajima
Address: 563 Kashiwajima, Otsuki-cho, Hata-gun, Kochi
Best season: Early spring to late autumn
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