It takes a special kind of person to live on a small island of 688 people — a crazy person. And it takes a special island to put up with 688 crazy people.
If I were living in the city, I'd probably be hanging out with university intellectuals. But the island is a place where at any one time I can be with one intellectual, one fisherman, one factory worker, and a Buddhist priest — all drinking on the tatami mat floor of my house and engaging in a conversation familiar to everyone present. In addition, these people can vary greatly in age, from 25 years old to 81.
If you are impressed with how long people live in Japan, you ought to come to this island. I swear there are some people still here from the Heian Period. And they continue to get along just fine on their own. Which makes you wonder: How do they do it?!