Island of Heaven

Nozaki Island is located about 60 km west from Kyushu, Japan. Human used to live there since the Stone Age. In the Edo era (1603-1868), under the Prohibition of Christianity, Christians moved secretly to the island. After the lifting of the ban on Christianity, they constructed the Nokubi church in 1882. While maximum population reached to around 650 people in 1960s, residents left the island gradually to work outside during the high-speed growth of Japanese economy and Nozaki island became deserted in 2001. Now, about 400 wild deer live peacefully in the island. Thanks to the natural providence, the number of deer is stable. The Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region, including the former Nokubi church, is now candidate for the World Heritage of UNESCO. Toward the registration expected to the summer of 2018, the silent island starts receiving more tourists. How Nozaki island and the life of wild deer will change afterward? I continue to watch the island to heaven and take pictures of the relationship with human and deer.