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The Ainu are an Indigenous group that once lived in northern Japan. This article explores their history, culture, and everyday lives, while also highlighting must-visit spots in Hokkaido where you can experience Ainu culture.
The Ainu are an Indigenous people of Hokkaido, Japan's northern land. By exploring their rich culture and deep history, you can experience Japan's cultural diversity.
In this article, we briefly introduce the features of Ainu culture and historical information along with the best sightseeing spots where you can experience Ainu culture and history.
Picture from Coexisting with Nature: Hokkaido’s Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park
The Ainu people are an Indigenous ethnic group who have lived in northern Japan, particularly in Hokkaido, for centuries.
According to government surveys, the current population is approximately 11,450 people, showing a decline in both the number of households and population compared to the survey conducted in 2017.
They possess a unique culture and history, preserving traditional lifestyles, languages, and arts. However, their survival has become a challenge in modern society.
Reference: Results of the 2023 Hokkaido Ainu Living Conditions Survey (Japanese)
Picture from Ainu Culture Tours and Fabulous Nature Scenery At Lake Akan, Hokkaido
The Ainu language does not have a writing system; instead, they pass down their history orally through Yukar, or epic sagas, to the next generation.
They practice Animism, which is based on the belief that a spirit resides in all things in the natural world. Festivals and ceremonies expressing gratitude to the kamuy (gods) are deeply embedded in their daily lives.
They are known for their traditional homes, a food culture centered around staple foods like salmon, venison, and wild plants, crafts such as embroidery and wood carving, and music played with instruments like the tonkori (a plucked string instrument) and mukkuri (a mouth harp).
In recent years, movements toward cultural regeneration and development have spread, including the revival of ancient dances, the creation of new Ainu music, and other initiatives.
The Ainu people’s origins trace back to around 30,000 years ago, when humans first arrived in Hokkaido.
They settled in Hokkaido, which includes the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin, and lived by trading with surrounding regions, while nurturing a unique culture.
However, after the 17th century, their social standing weakened due to the Matsumae clan’s control over trade and the spread of Japanese socio-economic systems.
In the 19th century, their land was taken due to the expansion of the Japanese and Russians. They were banned from practicing their traditional culture, forced to relocate, and subjected to an assimilation policy that required them to learn Japanese.
After the war, they protested against discrimination, aiming to improve their living conditions and restore their rights. They began movements and collaborated with Indigenous groups from around the world.
During the Edo period, free trade was restricted under the control of the Matsumae clan, forcing transactions to be made under unfavorable conditions.
Their lives worsened further due to the merchant-controlled land system in the 1630s and the 1669 Shakushain's Revolt.
Control and regulation over them was further strengthened due to the Menashi-Kunashir incident in 1789, in which Matsumae clan members and Japanese merchants were killed, and the arrival of Russian ships in Ezo (Hokkaido) in 1792.
In 1899, the Meiji government established the Hokkaido Former Aborigines Protection Act and began implementing policies to assimilate the Ainu people into Japanese society.
This law confiscated their land and culture, forcing them into Japanese-style education and an agricultural lifestyle under the pretense of protecting the Ainu people.
As a result, they lost their unique culture, and many Ainu people were victims of discrimination and prejudice.
The late Meiji period, as depicted in the popular anime and manga series “Golden Kamuy,” was a time when the Ainu were forced to change their traditional lifestyle and faced hardships, falling into poverty.
Ainu schools were established on the educational front, but they were treated discriminatively, with an inferior curriculum compared to schools for Japanese children.
After the Meiji period, the Japanese government continued to enforce the assimilation policy, leading to the prohibition of the Ainu language, traditional culture, and lifestyle.
As a result, they were forced to learn Japanese and their livelihoods, such as salmon fishing and deer hunting, which they had cultivated for years were banned. This caused immense damage to the very foundation of their culture and way of life.
In 1997, the Japanese government abolished the Hokkaido Former Aborigines Protection Act and simultaneously established the Act on the Promotion of Ainu Culture. This occurred against the backdrop of global movements in the United Nations advocating for the recognition of Indigenous rights.
The abolition of the Hokkaido Former Aborigines Protection Act led to a reevaluation of the Ainu people's rights within Japan, as the act had been used to justify discriminatory treatment.
The newly established Act on the Promotion of Ainu Culture protected and promoted the Ainu language and culture, with the goal of passing them on to future generations. This provided an opportunity for the revitalization of Ainu culture and the respect for diversity.
We’ve carefully selected five sightseeing spots where you can explore the rich culture and history of the Ainu people. Experience the precious world of the Ainu for yourself.
Picture courtesy of PR Times
Upopoy (National Ainu Museum and Park) opened in July 2020 in Shiraoi as a national center for learning the history and culture of the Ainu. It was established as a complex that includes the National Ainu Museum, National Ainu Park, and Memorial Site.
Under the name Upopoy, which means “to sing in large numbers” in Ainu, it offers experiences through diverse exhibits, ancient Ainu dance performances, traditional crafts, and food culture. It’s a valuable spot where people of all ages can enjoy learning about the history and culture of the Ainu.
Upopoy (National Ainu Museum and Park)
Address: Hokkaido, Shiraoi, Shiraoicho, Wakakusacho 2-3
Hours: 9:00 - 17:00 (will vary according to the season after April 2025)
Closed: Mondays, New Year’s holidays (December 29 - January 3), March 1-10
* If Monday is a holiday or designated closure, the complex will be closed on the following weekday
Official Website: https://ainu-upopoy.jp/en/
The Nibutani Ainu Culture Museum operates with the concept of protecting, promoting, and passing down Ainu culture to future generations.
Exhibited here are documents and items related to Ainu life and culture in the Saru River basin, including designated cultural properties such as folk goods, cise (traditional Ainu homes), and Yukar recordings.
It’s also home to various sightseeing spots including the Ainu Crafts and Heritage Center Urespa, which offers Ainu craft workshops, the Historical Museum of the Saru River, and the Biratori Ainu Culture Center.
Nibutani Ainu Culture Museum
Address: Hokkaido, Saru, Biratoricho, Nibutani 55
Hours: 9:00 - 16:30
Closed: Mondays during December 16 - January 15, November 16 - December 15, and January 16 - April 15 (otherwise, open every day)
Official Website: https://www.biratori-ainu-culture.com/en/trip/nibutani-museum/
The Ainu Culture Promotion Center (Sapporo Pirka Kotan), located in Sapporo, means “Sapporo’s beautiful village” in Ainu. The exhibition room displays around 300 valuable traditional garments and folk goods, which can be viewed with a 200 yen admission fee.
You can learn extensively about Ainu culture here. The center features an experience corner where you can try making crafts or wear traditional garments, an information corner with a collection of 500 books on Ainu culture, and the History Village, which includes a reproduced cise (home), hepereset (cage), and pu (storehouse).
Ainu Culture Promotion Center (Sapporo Pirka Kotan)
Address: Hokkaido, Sapporo, Minami, Koganeyu 27
Hours: 8:45 - 22:00
Closed: Mondays, holidays, every last Tuesday of the month, and the New Year’s holiday (December 29 - January 3)
Official Website: https://www.city.sapporo.jp/shimin/pirka-kotan/ (Japanese)
Akanko Ainu Kotan, located in the Akanko Onsen hot spring town Kushiro, is a settlement where 120 Ainu people actually live.
There are various facilities including Ikor, an indoor theater where you can watch traditional dances, Kotan-ya, an Akanko Ainu art gallery, and Onne Cise.
The settlement hosts events such as the Marimo Festival, Utasa Festival, and Kapatcep Nomi. There’s also restaurants where you can taste both traditional and innovative dishes, as well as workshops for crafts and instruments. You can deeply engage with Ainu culture here.
Korpokkur, believed to bring happiness, is a popular souvenir.
Akanko Ainu Kotan
Address: Hokkaido, Kushiro, Akancho, Akanko Onsen 4-7-19
Hours: 9:00 - 21:30
Closed: Open year round
Official Website: https://www.akanainu.jp/en/
The Hakodate City Museum of Northern Peoples sits in the former Bank of Japan Hakodate Branch building, constructed in 1926, and showcases the lives and cultures of northern peoples, including that of the Ainu.
There are numerous traditional craft events including wood carving, embroidery, paper cutouts, and mukkuri making, making it a perfect theme for a school research project. “The Ainu Customs of the Twelve Months,” which depicts the way of life of the Ainu from the late Edo to early Meiji periods, is a must-see work of art.
Hakodate City Museum of Northern Peoples
Address: Hokkaido, Hakodate, Suehirocho 21-7
Hours:
April - October: 9:00 - 19:00
November - March: 9:00 - 17:00
Closed: Closed on maintenance days (irregular), New Year’s holiday (December 31 - January 3)
Official Website: https://www.zaidan-hakodate.com/hoppominzoku/
The Ainu people are an Indigenous ethnic group primarily living in Hokkaido, carrying on their rich culture and history.
At popular sightseeing spots, such as Upopoy and Akanko Ainu Kotan, you can experience the depth and beauty of Ainu culture firsthand, further familiarizing yourself with the story of the “Golden Kamuy” anime series.
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This is the official account of MATCHA's editorial department. Our articles feature useful travel information for visitors to Japan, from how-to guides to recommended places to visit.