Halfway up Hachijō-Fuji, at an altitude of about 500 meters, you’ll see them: cows, grazing peacefully.
Look up and you’ll see the entire island and ocean stretching out as far as the horizon. Which are you looking at? The sea or the cows? Here, one tends to lose track.

But, isn’t it strange? How can there be cows here on this remote dot in the great blue sea?
They came by ship. Originally, they weren’t here to provide milk, but hard labor, plowing fields and transporting heavy loads up the many slopes. Many farmers kept cows during the Meiji Period; it’s said they treated them as family and comrades in labor.

Eventually, during the Showa Era, dairy cows were introduced to Hachijō Island, and together with its warm climate and rich grasslands, it prospered as an “Island of Dairy Farming.” In its heyday, cows were raised all over the island; even a large condensed milk factory was built.

At this time, the island had another nickname: the “Hawaii of the East.” This was an era where overseas travel was little more than a dream, and this island of everlasting spring became a hotspot for honeymooners. Large hotel resorts were built, with a steady stream of tourists arriving by plane. It was a golden age carried by milk and tourism.

However, time never stands still. As overseas travel became more prevalent, people started flying to the real Hawaii. The condensed milk factory was shuttered, and the island ranchers parted with their dairy cows or switched to raising Wagyu cattle. The dairy cows that once livened these pastures slowly disappeared.
And now, the cows you see before you are the very same Wagyu cattle. At Fureai Farm, they take on the crucial role of raising calves from the island’s ranchers, then return them to their homes.

In 2012, a new form of pasture-based farming using brown Jersey cows began elsewhere on the island. The resulting dairy is used in the locally produced milk and gelato.

Whether as pack animals or sources of dairy and meat, cows have served in many ways, never disappearing from this island.

Incidentally, here’s a nugget of local wisdom: this ranch is also one of the best stargazing spots in all of Hachijō Island. At this height, far from the city lights, the night sky is utterly breathtaking. Cows graze by day, then a million stars twinkle in the night.

The wind rises. A scent of grass caresses under milky white clouds. And for the cows, it’s just another day of grazing and gazing at the sea. As it ever was, and will ever be.