Evangelia Papoutsaki MA Leeds, PhD Cardiff, MRSNZ

...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...