Traveling by boat has a high chance of being affected by the weather. Even if the sky is clear, the sea surface may be rough.
Before boarding the boat, go on-site to confirm whether the boat is sailing normally. The boat ride might be canceled or delayed due to bad weather, and these are all very likely scenarios.
When Choyce takes a boat to approach the big island, the boat will also announce in advance: According to the sea conditions, the boat will only dock if conditions permit!

The special first-class room is a four-person room with bunk beds. There is also a common space in the room where you can watch TV programs and boil hot water.
You can bring your own instant noodles or fruits, snacks, soda, etc. to enjoy on board.There is only a sink in the room, and the toilet is a shared toilet outside the room

The cabin has a restaurant with regulated business hours.There are ramen, curry rice, etc. You must purchase a ticket before entering the restaurant.The price is still within a reasonable range, and for a ten-hour boat ride, it’s not bad to have some hot food.Alternatively, you can choose the 24-hour hot food vending machine. Just insert a coin and wait for two minutes for the microwave to be used, and the hot food will appear automatically.There are also snack vending machines!

Taking a boat from Tokyo to Toshima, the outbound journey takes 10 hours (the boat leaves at 10 p.m.) and the return journey takes less than 7 hours (the boat leaves at noon and arrives in Tokyo before 7 o'clock). Due to ocean currents, the outbound and return journey times are different (there are three hour time difference). I highly recommend choosing a special room during the late night period for a comfortable and carefree stay.

It is recommended that you pack as light as possible on the ship (there is no elevator on the ship). You can prepare a small travel bag to get on the ship, and leave other items or large suitcases in your Tokyo hotel or in a large coin-operated locker.
There are no bicycles or taxis on Toshima Island. Everything have to be done by your feet, and the host of the hotel and homestay hostel also has a special car to pick you up.
It’s really not a good idea to bring large luggage on board!

I asked what the people on the island do for a living. Toshima lacks a livestock industry, rice cultivation, and chicken farming, with almost all goods transported by boat or helicopter. Its main economic outputs are camellia oil and a modest fishing industry targeting conch, lobsters, etc. The tourism sector is small, with no accommodations or restaurants, making even bottled water hard to find. Supplies from the mainland are scheduled twice a week, including times for selling livestock like cows, pigs, chickens, sheep, and various vegetables.

Camellia oil is the main economic support on Toshima, produced from 200,000 camellia trees. The production volume varies, with a possible difference of seven to eight times between years, making it a highly risky economic crop.

Residents of Toshima live in a constant climate, surrounded by the sea. It takes about four hours to walk around the island. I ambitiously attempted to cover every inch on foot, only to turn back as it got dark. Beyond the villages, there are no streetlights. At night, without light pollution, Toshima reveals a stunning night sky, fireflies, and various bird species, epitomizing harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

There are several guesthouses on the island, all legally registered. Toshima Inn is the largest one, accommodating around ten people at a time. When the ship docked, the owner of the Toshima Pavilion was waiting on the shore. He then drove us to the Toshima Pavilion, where we stayed for the past two days. For the room on the second floor, the hotel owner had thoughtfully carried up the luggage, though I was careful not to bring heavy bags to avoid burdening him. The Toshima Building has a sole male owner responsible for everything from cleaning and transportation to cooking.

From the GPS aerial view, Toshima resembles a heart. I intended to circle the island but was captivated by the beautiful scenery along the way, delaying my return. I completed only half the journey, leaving the rest for a future visit.

This time, Choyce was led by local people to visit the only camellia oil factory on the island.
In the past, It was said that everyone could make camellia oil, but this made the market price of camelia oil chaotic. Finally, the JA Agricultural Cooperative came forward to centralized the purchase and consolidate the manufacture together, maintaining the market price and maintaining the price and livelihood for the majority.

When you open a camellia fruit, you can see that there are several camellia seeds hidden inside. More than 80% of the entire island is covered with camellia trees. The annual output of camellia fruit is about 60 metric tons, and the remaining camellia oil is about 3%, which is 1.8 metric tons. Camellia oil is sold throughout Japan.

It is difficult to cultivate camellia trees, as it is a crop with an extremely low return on investment.
It takes more than 25 years for each camellia tree to be able to produce a harvest.Although it takes a quarter of a century to have economic value,
fortunately, the camellia tree can bear fruit even when it is hundreds of years old.
The camillia tree is an evergreen plant throughout the four seasons, and the island of Toshima remains green all year round.

There are two ways to extract camellia oil. Toshima uses the pressing method, where the camellia seeds are squeezed to extract the camellia oil. Pure camellia oil is obtained through filtration and various extraction methods.It also retains the aroma of camellia oil (some people find it unpleasant) and the color is also yellowish.

Pure natural camellia oil has strong moisturizing power, antiseptic and anti-deterioration. Ordinary olive oil will start to produce an oily smell after about half a year, but camellia oil can be left for three years without deterioration.Camellia oil in particular has strong sun protection and anti skin spot ability, it is also antiseptic and anti-ultraviolet. It is definitely the best skin care product for female friends.

Azusawakenochi Shrine, the highest point in the island system (elevation of 507 meters), has been around for 600 years, and is also the center of faith for the islanders.Ascending the mossy stone steps, you'll encounter a quieter atmosphere. Without lavish decoration, a mysterious aura emerges, instilling calmness and a sense of freedom.

Toshima hosts two faith centers and numerous monuments, indicating it hasn't been spared from the impacts of war. In the conflicts over power, buildings and lives were lost. These monuments remind future generations to pursue peace, urging respect among people and toward nature.

Dinner consists of a delicious seafood set meal, simple but delicious, the rice is especially unforgettable.

Got up early in the morning and walked to the Toshima Village Local Archives. In addition to free admission to view various Toshima historical materials, the roof is also a good place to overlook the panoramic view of Toshima.

While Toshima's development lags behind that of central Tokyo, it proudly retains natural landscapes that are priceless, fostering trust among its people.Despite being an unassuming little island, Toshima offers vast space for tolerance and boundless spiritual freedom.