'Naked hermit' evicted after nearly three decades on deserted island

Masafumi Nagasaki, 82, was reportedly evicted from a deserted Japanese island where he lived for nearly 30 years. Masafumi Nagasaki, 82, was reportedly evicted from a deserted Japanese island where he lived for nearly 30 years. Photo: Yamada/Getty Images Photo: Yamada/Getty Images Image 1 of / 43 Caption Close 'Naked hermit' evicted after nearly three decades on deserted island 1 / 43 Back to Gallery

An elderly man who spent close to 30 years living alone on a deserted island has been forced back into civilization, according to reports.

Masafumi Nagasaki lived a simple existence alone on Sotobanari, a small island in the southwest of Okinawa, Japan. The 82-year-old is thought to be the longest-surviving voluntary castaway in modern history.

Nagasaki became known as the "naked nomad" in 2012 after Reuters profiled the then-76-year-old. He said he planned to die on the island and only returned to civilization once a week, to buy food and drinking water and collect a $120 stipend his family sends.

The hermit's idyllic lifestyle came to an end in April, according to News.com.au, when authorities forcibly evicted Nagasaki and deposited him in government housing in the city of Ishigaki. Nagasaki was reportedly too weak to fight back, and possibly suffered from the flu.

It's not entirely clear why Nagasaki cast himself on the island in 1989, but some accounts claim he once was a married photographer and nightclub owner with two children.

Alvaro Cerezo, who documents castaways, spent five days with Nagasaki before his departure and documented the experience on his blog. Cerezo said Nagasaki was once a "city man with no outdoor experience," but "exploded" one day after seeing how polluted the sea was during a plane ride.

Nagasaki packed his bags and set up camp, intending to stay only two years. He stayed nearly 30 instead.

He told Cerezo: "Here, on the island, I don't do what people tell me to do, I just follow nature's rules. You can't dominate nature so you have to obey it completely."

Michelle Robertson is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @mrobertsonsf.