The Western Pacific region is dotted with volcanic and coral
islands, with dramatic disparities between the individual islands in terms of
natural resources. Especially in central Micronesia, whose coral islands are poor
in land resources, brisk inter-island trading (sawei) is conducted with
volcanic islands that are rich in natural resources. There has been a considerable
amount of progressive anthropological research concerning this arrangement.
This research will not limit its object of research to Micronesia, but instead
will study a broad range of islands, even extending to those located in a swath
from Okinawa through Taiwan to the Philippines, as we attempt to shed light on
the universal characteristics of resource usage in tropical island environments.
After considering aspects of resource use on islands, we will investigate from
diverse vantage points the mechanisms used for obtaining resources through off-island
cultural contacts and their significance. By approaching these issues from different
standpoints, we intend to get feedback from the actual participants about the
research.