Why the JMSDF still operates flying boats

Why does the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force remain one of the few navies operating flying boats?

They suit Japan's dispersed island responsibilities and provide useful logistical access. Similar geography can make them relevant to other navies too.

Japan's numerous islands make access by water an operational and logistical consideration. Flying boats provide ways of reaching dispersed locations that do not all share the same shore facilities. Their usefulness therefore follows from the geography of the JMSDF's responsibilities. The same reasoning supports considering them for other countries with comparable island requirements, without assuming that every navy needs them.