Evangelia Papoutsaki MA Leeds, PhD Cardiff, MRSNZ

Sometimes the best academic impact happens not in journals, but in the places where the work truly matters.

Isn’t that what we all want? To be witnessed, quietly, completely. To know that for even a moment, we existed fully in someone else’s gaze.

While tourism is undeniably the lifeblood of the markets today, glimpses of the past linger in the smaller arcades, where echoes remain of a time when this was the main shopping district for locals—before shopping malls drew people away from central Naha for their daily needs. Still, I’m glad the markets have adapted and found a way forward.

Returning to Okinawa reminded me how deeply I love this place: its incredibly kind people, its light, its nature, and yes, even its climate. I’ll take the hot, steamy weather any day; my body thrives in it.

While exploring Ainu culture and Indigenous tourism, I was fortunate to meet remarkable people and gain access to communities and projects that demonstrated how the power of one can spark meaningful change.

...I traveled north to the Shiretoko UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site and National Park, where I entered an enchanted realm of lakes. The name "Shiretoko" comes from the Ainu words “sir etok”, meaning “the end of the earth.”

Lake Akan is more than a scenic place on the tourist trail —it’s a place where the past is remembered, and where healing, both personal and collective, is unfolding. There’s still much work to be done before true justice is achieved, but this is a start. Imperfect, yet necessary.

When I stepped out of Kushiro Station—the gateway to my Lake Akan trip—I felt underwhelmed. Hmm, I thought, how am I going to spend four...