Unesco World Natural Heritage Site

Sharing research with the community

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

Aug 1

Sayonara

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.

Jul 14

Shiretoko: to the end of the earth and back

...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.”

Jun 28