In October 2016, an unusual mayor election was held for Iitate Village in Fukushima Prefecture. A ballot box was taken on a journey to reach the villagers, who had evacuated to scattered locations after the 2011 nuclear disaster. One candidate argued for a return to the village, while the other argued it was still too dangerous. Voters wanting to return did not want the village to end with their generation, while those opposed to returning were still concerned about the radiation. In the end, what hopes did the 5,200 voters place in the traveling ballot box?

In the streets of Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, the air is filled with a dozen foreign languages as people dance the samba and hula in the "Worldwide Uchinanchu (Okinawan) Festival". Around 7,300 Okinawan descendants have returned home from around the world to participate. They are those who went abroad for various reasons, some to find work and some driven from their homes after WWII. Others are 2nd and 3rd generations of Okinawans, and have come to learn more about their ancestral roots. We pay a visit to Kokusai Street, the heart of the festival, to listen to their voices.