Hiroyuki Noda never imagined that he would become a messenger for fellow Miyake Island residents when he bought a personal computer six years ago to keep books for his inn and diving shop.
But today, Tou-kon, a Web site operated by Noda, his wife, Rie, and friends, has become a source of vital information for islanders who are living as evacuees in the metropolitan area.
The number of hits at the site topped 170,000 last week. Its name means "spirit of the island," and it is also the pronunciation of the kanji for "fighting spirit."