I go and help with whatever I’m asked to do, even if I’m hard at work.

Locally renowned hard worker Masatomi Moromi toils all day farming. "I like working. I don't feel it’s hard. I go out early in the morning, pick my ripe vegetables and weed the field well. I never lay about at home. I’m at my happiest with nice vegetables." Good seasonal planning supports his bountiful harvests.

"I plant vegetables with the greatest resilience against pests by season. I had to learn for myself which ones are best to plant for each season; there was nobody else to tell me." People are often amazed by Moromi's hearty greens.

He says, "People shout, ‘Akkiyo(*1), look how many goya(*2) and nabera(*3)you have!’ I give them to my daughters, grandchildren and locals who just happen to be there. I also sell them at a local shop, then give the rest to people in the neighborhood." His prized vegetables fill a lot of stomachs in the community.

Moromi took up the position of head of Shimajiri Hamlet. He installed a waterway in Shimajiri that runs from Inuka well（*4）. He says, "Old people can't walk to the well, so we drew water from it and set up a tap. Lots of locals use the water for their farms, too." His kindness helps other Shimajiri farmers.

Since his youth, Moromi has done various jobs, such as farming, fishing, couriering and fishmongering. He once skippered a fishing boat off Guam. His tireless and thorough approach toward work earns him the respect of locals and draw requests from them.

He says, "Responding to requests isn’t really part of my job, but I do it anyway. I've got to help people even if it means I leave my own work half done." Moromi's approach epitomizes how communities are maintained and kept alive through generations.

*1 An exclamation voiced at surprise.
*2 Bitter melon
*3 Sponge cucumber. One of Okinawa's popular summer vegetables.
*4 see P26

I had been a headman for 16 years since 1992
I know all about Iheya

Masatomi Moromi 
Moromi is highly trustworthy and has 16 years of experience as Shimajiri Hamlet's head. He works hard throughout the day, and is out all day without a mobile phone so even his family sometimes doesn’t know where he is.

The nostalgic landscape of the hamlet. After finishing his first task of the day, Moromi usually takes a short break on a bench in front of the communal store.


Local produce of Iheya are sold at Shimajiri Store (communal grocery).


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