Mr. Hirohisa had made it clear when I called him from the nearest mainland city to the island — Nagato in western Honshu's Yamaguchi Prefecture — that there would be no supper provided that night; nor would he be able to pick me up from the station as expected. He would be hosting a private barbeque party that evening, with all hands needed on deck.

Luckily, there was a small general store on Omi-jima Island. My eyes fell hungrily on tubs of cup noodles, cubes of Kraft cheese, fresh oranges and canned beer. I would conjure a royal repast that evening.

When I arrived at the hotel, preparations for the feast were already under way. A hammock, picturesquely facing the Sea of Japan, was slung between two phoenix palms. Though it was the perfect place for guests to take a nap, I never saw anyone using it during my entire stay.