A 4-year food consumption survey of one household at every meal was conducted on Pingelap Island, Pohnpei State, the Federated States of Micronesia, to understand food behavior over a long period. The 4-year average of the frequency of consumption of starchy staples was highest for imported rice (47.4%), followed by banana (37.4%), breadfruit (19.9%), mweiang (Cyrtosperma merkusii)(16.3%), and imported wheat flour (12.5%). The monthly variation in the consumption of rice and wheat flour was much greater than the annual variation. The household ate banana in all months during the survey period and banana was the most frequently consumed local starchy staple on Pingelap Island, suggesting that banana supports subsistence on this small, remote island throughout the year. The additional value of the 4-year average frequency was 60.7% for imported starchy staples and 73.6% for local starchy crops, indicating that the household still relied on local starchy crops for more than half of the total starchy staples consumed by frequency. Among marine resources, the 4-year average was highest for fresh fish (69.9%), followed by other marine resources (1.3%), imported canned fish (1.0%), and dried fish (0.5%). Regarding meat, the 4-year average was highest for local fresh meat (2.3%), followed by imported canned meat (0.7%), and imported fresh meat (0.1%). These results suggest that the main source of protein on the island is fresh fish caught locally. The frequency of the consumption of imported instant noodles was low. The dietary pattern on Pingelap Island was still traditional compared with Pohnpei Island, probably due to the very limited access from Pingelap Island to the main island of Pohnpei where imported food products are abundant.

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In the modern society where media has developed, various media events are routinely seen. Media event is defined as event designed and directed by the media, event relayed and reported by the media, and social event by the media as “media event.” Such media event has become popular on islands as well. The “Utajima Festival” was implemented as part of the “Utajima Project” by the Amami Oshima Nature Conservation Association organized by five municipalities in the island for the realization of the World Natural Heritage registration in the summer of 2018. This was an event planned and directed by the media. It was also an event that was relayed and reported by the media, and also broadcast as a special program produced by the mass media. Based upon the media event theory, the Utajima Festival might be regarded as multi-layered media event. What is the most important is what meaning this media event brings to Amami society, and this perspective is the starting point of this study. This study conducted the case study of the Utajima Festival in Amami Ohshima island in 2018 as an example of a new media event to explore the meaning and significance of Amami’s cultural society. Three research method were applied―1）in-depth interviews with organizers, (2) media content analysis including newspaper and television programs and (3) participation observation of Utajima festival. Other than the typical features of the festival as media event, this study finds the three charactaristics―(1) donation event, (2) live & talk, (3) combined and long-term ripple. Media events bring people to a shared experience, strengthen collective memories, and have the effect of confirming the boundaries with others. Based upon the analysis of the data, two points have emerged―(1)“diverse thoughts on the island” and (2)“the island sabakuri (meaning preparation).” Previous media events have taken on the ritual role of confirming and strengthening the island’s identity. However, it is possible to say that “Utajima Festival” was served as a place where people sympathized with the reconstruction of the island’s identity.

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