Evangelia Papoutsaki MA Leeds, PhD Cardiff, MRSNZ

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.

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...