Congratulations- you’ve stumbled upon one of Nagasaki’s hidden gems! The Goto Islands, or more colloquially: the Gotos (pronounced like “Go-toes”) make up a small archipelago off the coast of Nagasaki prefecture and one of the most scenic, lush, amazing tropical islands you’ve (likely) ever seen! The Gotos are a warm, peaceful, vibrant and exotic locale with a rich cultural history, exciting events and wonderful sense of community! In total, the whole of the Gotos possess the population roughly of that of a large university; there are about 10 foreigners on the largest island. It is difficult to overstate just how beautiful Goto is, especially in the summertime! Experiencing and appreciating the outdoors is one of the great perks to living here! That said, if you enjoy a taste of city life, Nagasaki and all its opportunities are easily accessible by frequent ferries and jetfoils. Theres a little something for everyone on Goto, if you’re willing to look! Not to mention, a rather lovely, upstanding community of ALTs 🙂
For more information on events, tourism, and city specific rules and practices on topics such as disaster prevention and evacuation etc., you can visit the Goto-jima, or Fukue Island, local website here or the Shinkami-Goto Island page here.
There are five major islands in Goto, with Shin-Kamigoto (or simply “Kami-Goto”) being the major island to the north, and Fukue-Jima (Goto-Jima, or simply just “Goto”) to the south. All islands have amazing sights to see, although each has its own unique features; Naru-Shima is known to have an abundance of wild boar, Kamigoto is rocky (and hip!), and Fukue-Jima has wide open spaces overlooked by its great “bald mountain,” Onidake, the long dormant volcano.
Goto also has a fascinating history of involvement with the mainland. Goto was once a refuge for persecuted christians fleeing execution! Foreign influence resulted in oddly out of place, western style churches and monasteries dotting the landscape. (Many of them have an ice-cream stand next to them.) Also, the separation due to Goto’s island nature resulted in a very distinct dialect of Japanese known as “Goto-Ben.” Many ALTs have found that learning Japanese is a great help in enjoying life on goto, and if you’re keen to learn, Goto-Ben is a wonderful (albeit, often goofy and hilarious) way to bond with the community!
Every season has something to get excited about here! Beach season is from May to October, and brings the full arsenal of Goto’s activities to bear. Diving, parasailing, surfing, swimming, fishing, hiking and many more opportunities are at your fingertips. For the more sporty types, The Gotos are known for a strong culture of runners, and there are frequent marathons on the islands. Judo, Karate, Kendo and other martial arts are very popular here, and any of the local dojos are always looking for new members! Of course, for the more artistic, theres also wonderful opportunities to try Tea Ceremony, Taiko Drums, Shamisen, pottery and many many other activities! Many ALTs here have been inspired to pick up photography simply because it’s so beautiful! Within the greater community of Goto, the schools have strong identities, and if goto events aren’t enough for you, there’s plenty of opportunities at school as well! If you’ve any interest in the schools after school activities or festivals, they’d be happy to include you!
Goto is quite simply amazing, and in many ways the envy of a good deal of Nagasaki residents. Many would consider Goto the quintessential JET experience; theres so much opportunity here! Regardless of your tastes, theres something for everyone in The Gotos, and if you absolutely insist there isn’t, the bright lights of Nagasaki are a short, easy boat ride away! Welcome to island life- in Goto you can see the ocean from your desk, and hit the beach after work. Get hype.
The Gotos were recently featured in the Japan Times. Take a look!