This study introduced and discussed the current situation and problems from the viewpoint of the local medical institution in the island area of Tokyo. The Tokyo remote islands are classified into three types according to population size. The study compared the medical conditions among the small, medium, and large islands. Each of the five small islands has a clinic with one doctor, one or three nurses, and a small number of clerks. The islands have differences in population and age distribution, and securing transportation means is often difficult because of their distance. As such, the medical staff needs to use the limited medical resources accurately to carry out medical treatment. In addition, as there are no facilities for older adults, preventive measures and the appropriate care environment must be properly prepared in view of the aging society. Hospitalization for a fixed period is impossible in medical institutions on medium-sized remote islands, which face difficulties in securing human resources capable of handling rehabilitation. Patients often have difficulty resuming their daily life when returning to the island from treatment at a hospital. Disuse and cognitive decline and motor function decline owing to long-term hospitalization often require additional support after discharge. The support and supply system after discharge tend to be limited，and cooperation between medical institutions is important when returning home. Medical facilities on large remote islands have relatively large numbers of staff and hospital beds, and as such, many cases can be handled. However, it is often difficult when and how to consult cases that require more specialty. Several cross-sectional initiatives have been developed, from specialized practice and image transmission systems to blood rotation systems and integrated physician training programs. Each medical institution on the islands must always consider its cooperation with the surroundings so that it can continue to observe strictly its own coverage and contribute better to the medical welfare of residents.

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Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as announced by the United Nations in 2015, are an important framework for promoting sustainability. The SDGs include 17 goals that can help countries to achieve environmental, economic, and social sustainability. Coastal fisheries represent an important commercial industry for local people in the Pacific Islands, and many research projects have been conducted on the sustainable use of such resources in relation to the SDGs. Such research has indicated that coastal fisheries play an important role in the socioeconomic and ecological systems in coastal areas in the Pacific. For example, the eastern coast of the Fijian island of Viti Levu is densely populated with filter-feeding bivalves (Anadara spp.), which are an important food and income source for the local people. Women collect these bivalves and sell them in the marketplace. In addition, these bivalves filter particles suspended in the water, thereby improving water quality. Thus, the harvest and sale of these bivalves has an influential role on the physical environment of both coastal and inland regions. This process can be traced through the fishing activities that transfer materials from fishing grounds onto land in a complex overall system consisting of both human beings and nature in coastal areas. The objective of the present study is to investigate the structure and function of the system with regard to the movement of marine products from the fishing grounds onto land. We focus on fishing activities involving bivalves. Surveys were conducted in two villages from 2017 to 2019 to gain a better understanding of the movement of bivalves in eastern Viti Levu. The movement of marine products from the fishing grounds onto land through fishing activities was influenced by both natural and socioeconomic factors, such as the ecology of marine resources, the current market economy, family members, social structures, and waste management practices. The findings are that the system has been affected by many factors, which suggest that the structure may be unstable. We discuss the directions that should be pursued in order to maintain a sustainable, normally functioning relationship between the people and their environment from the perspective of the SDGs and bivalve fishing activities. We conclude that this bivalve is a good indicator species for addressing SDGs in coastal areas in the Pacific Islands.

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An ethnobotanical survey on Capsicum peppers was conducted on the Yap Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia （FSM）, and Mili Atoll, the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), to investigate the local nomenclature for, and distribution and usage of, Capsicum peppers. Several cultivars of each of three species, C. annuum, C. frutescens, and C. chinense, are distributed on the Yap Islands, but only a single cultivar of C. frutescens with small fruit, which are green when immature, was found on Mili Atoll. A general name for Capsicum peppers on the Yap Islands is ta’bil, which has an unknown origin. The name pepa, which is probably derived from pfeffer in German or pepper in English, is used on Mili Atoll. All of the interviewees on the Yap Islands had seen weedy forms of C. frutescens and knew of, or had observed, birds eating its fruits. However, the percentage of such people on Mili Atoll is very low compared to that on the Yap Islands. Among the 13 interviewees who grew C. frutescens plants in their home gardens on the Yap Islands, 12 had transplanted weedy forms of C. frutescens growing in villages or fields to their home gardens. However, all of those on Mili Atoll had started seedlings from available fruit by themselves or had obtained seeds from other villagers. Fresh fruit and fruit soaked in palm vinegar are used widely as spices and condiments on both the Yap Islands and Mili Atoll. Capsicum leaves, especially those of C. frutescens, are used in soups and in mixtures of vegetables on the Yap Islands, which is similar to the practice in other states of the FSM. In contrast, no one reported eating these leaves on Mili Atoll. Perceptions and usage of Capsicum peppers on the Yap Islands are very similar to those in other states of the FSM. Conversely, the relationship between people and Capsicum peppers on Mili Atoll is much weaker than that of the FSM. To reveal whether this phenomenon occurs throughout the RMI or whether it is limited to Mili Atoll, further ethnobotanical study on Capsicum peppers is needed on other atolls of the RMI.

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Tuvalu is a small nation which consists of nine atolls at the west end of Polynesia. All the atolls are flat and just above sea level. It has no mountains nor rivers, thus no fresh water, so people depend on rainwater for their daily life water. This extreme environmental feature of the lands disturbs the plants growth as few as 356 vascular plants reported present, of which only 18% are possibly indigenous (Thaman 2012). However, Tuvalu is quite abundant in coconut trees (or niu), which is one of halophilous plants that are tolerant of salt water. Tuvaluan people utilize niu from its roots to its fruits (at various stages of growth) for all the aspects of their daily lives. This fact is symbolized in the six distinct names of the fruit, according to its stages of growth. The purpose of this study is to collect the Tuvaluan words that are related to the coconut tree and to examine how the Tuvaluan people classify the coconut-related environment into their vocabulary. The author presents 152 coconut-related words in the wordlist. Additionally, this study explores how the classification of the vocabulary correlates with the people’s utilization of coconut in their daily life. The discussion is made from the viewpoint of linguistic anthropology; it is the vocabulary of a language that most clearly reflects the physical and social environment of its speakers (Sapir 1912: 228).

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