The AINU - meeting them after 50 years at the incredible Upopoy National Ainu Museum

Between 1967-9, I had studied the Ainu of Japan as part of my Social Anthropology Tripos at Cambridge – as the Todas are to India, the Ainu are to Japan – the oldest civilization in the country. They have a long illustrious history (despite being categorized as a “primitive” peoples ) – as you will read below. Shunned / ignored for many years by the Japanese Govt., they are now coming into their own.

I was in Japan and having a few days spare, decided that I would visit the Ainu and rekindle my knowledge about them. 50 years is a long time and I had forgotten most of what I knew. The Ainu are in the far north in Hokkaido and stay in many settlements – the main ones being near Kushiro and Shiraoi. Due to circumstances, I cancelled Kushiro having learnt that Shiraoi has the main settlement and the incredible Ainu museum. 

I would have loved to take the Green car seat in the Shinkansen train to Sapporo but those cost nearly 4 times the cost of a plane ticket and take 8 hours vs an hour by plane. So it was a no brainer. 

The train takes around one hour. They say the museum is a 10 minute walk but I decided to take a cab as I wanted to save time. Actually it’s a good 25-30 min walk as I found on my way back to the station. 

 

The park is a huge area. Detailed layouts of all the facilities are at various locations. There is a bus you can take to see the main places – Cultural hall, Museum centre, Crafts studios and the Kotan (village). Lots to see, lots to walk around and appreciate. 

I have taken detailed photos of the whole site so you, the reader, can appreciate the full beauty of the Upopoy National Ainu Museum. Please read the explanatory texts which are from the Museum site. It is better to be accurate with facts than give my own synopsis, hence this is a rather detailed travelogue. My sincere thanks to the Ainu for allowing visitors to take photos so that we  in turn can promote their culture.   

                              

  

The Museum hall is huge. There is no shortage of space anywhere. It is extremely well planned – every single element of Ainu culture and history is detailed carefully. Where required, they have  interactive modules which you use and its fascinating to learn multiple facets of their life.

 

                 

                                               

Walking towards the Crafts area, I heard music and saw a stage with a few performers doing a dance. Beautiful costumes. Afterwards there was a photo op with the group and I told the group of my Ainu studies 50 years ago. They were really surprised! 

 

My first stop was at the Cultural Hall as the performance was about to begin. I was issued a ticket with seat number. The hall has around 300 seats and was packed mostly with school kids. All orderly and very well behaved. No photography was permitted which is sad as one cannot take back any real time memories of the Ainu. For 15 minutes, we saw five skits – harvest dance, a Jews harp being played, a sword dance, an Ainu song and one more item. Excellent lighting effects. It was brief but very interesting to see facets of Ainu life. 

                                                                                                                                                                 

By the kotan or Village, there are a few huts. A different activity takes place in each hut. A language class, a weaving class, some folks were doing embroidery and others knitting. In one we saw a guy working in wood and a lady sewing beautiful cloaks. The photos show you the different techniques used by the Ainu in weaving and other hobbies. There is a shop selling locally made artefacts and gifts in the premises – beautiful stuff but exorbitant prices. I bought a small sake cup with a super design but could not afford to buy the larger items. I wonder if they have good sales amongst the foreign tourists. There is another shop outside the ticket counter by the main entrance which has many more items selling at a lower price range and popular amongst school children and middle income tourists. 

Between the kotan and the exhibition hall, I came across a statue honouring a Polish exile. It was wonderful that in the far north of Japan, in a world away from  “civilization”, there was this reminder and appreciation of a foreign ethnograoher who had studied the Ainu. 

It had been a long day and I decided to walk back to the station. No taxis were at the Site, so walk it was. Got onto a wrong lane at a turning and was redirected to the station. There was much needed rest and the train journey back was time to reflect on a beautiful trip which had taken 50 years to fructify, and that too, totally unplanned !!     

The Ainu have done a wonderful job of enriching and bringing alive a culture which was in danger of being forgotten. The Government too is encouraging its younger generations to learn of their ancient culture.  

the official website 

National Ainu Museum and Park ”UPOPOY”                                                                     https://uu-nippon.com/hokkaido/upopoy/index.shtml is worth seeing. 

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