A sweet 86-year-old lady trundled past my shop pushing her squeaky cart full of vegetables. From deep inside her bonnet, she looked out at me, narrowed her eyes and said "Anata dake mōkaru," then turned and continued on her way. I used to like this woman. Surely she was just having a bad day.

A few days ago, I heard another business owner (who operates the only year-round restaurant in our community and has been in business for over 60 years) complain about other Shiraishi islanders who had sneered "Anata dake mōkaru," which means, "Only you are profiting," and implies that you are doing something solely for personal gain.

For years I have struggled to understand why the local people on the island are not interested in making their activities more profitable. Individuals seem to consider their side-business a hobby rather than a tool to supplement their regular income or pension. Even government programs ostensibly aimed at rural revitalization are designed only to sustain themselves and seldom run at a profit.