Mara Budgen

Head International Editor

I have several passions: discovering new cultures, learning languages, exploring nature, climbing and eating well, of course. I studied in the United Kingdom, have worked in Italy and traveled in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Sometimes I get dizzy because I can’t stay still. I still want to see the world and discover different lifestyles, because diversity is what fascinates me most.

Favourite quote: “Do not ask who I am and do not ask me to remain the same” (Michel Foucault)

Last article

With the water release, Fukushima is overwhelmed again

What led to the Fukushima water release, and what are the impacts of one of the most controversial decisions of the post-nuclear disaster clean-up effort?

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Hokkaido, Japan’s wilderness, is a window onto diverse communities

Niseko, Toya-Usu and Shiraoi are three Hokkaido destinations for travellers who want to feel close to the communities they’re visiting.

Ume, Japan’s favourite pickle, is the fruit of 400 years of sustainable farming

On the hills of Minabe and Tanabe ume fruit has been cultivated alongside oak forests and honeybees for centuries using a method now recognised by the FAO.

The Tokyo 2020 Reconstruction Games start from tsunami-hit areas

Tokyo hosts the Olympics but Tohoku, the region hit by the 2011 disaster, also takes centre stage. Its symbol is a miracle pine.

Goldman Prize winner Kimiko Hirata on blocking 13 coal plants in Japan

Kimiko Hirata has blocked 13 new coal plants in Japan, but she hasn’t done it alone. The 2021 Goldman Prize winner tells us about her movement.

Why Japan will release contaminated water from Fukushima into the ocean

“None of the information from the government and TEPCO should be trusted unless it’s independently verified,” says Safecast’s Azby Brown. We discuss what lies behind Japan’s decision to release radioactive water into the ocean with the researcher and transparency advocate.