AINU GLOBAL
There are many places where you can visit to learn about Ainu history and culture in Japan. The ones listed here are all in Hokkaido, so we would strongly recommend that you visit some of these places if you have a chance to go to Hokkaido. You can click on the photo or the museum name for more details.
Tourism
Built in 2020, the Upopoy National Ainu Museum is Japan's premier institution dedicated to the exploration and presentation of Ainu culture. The museum engages in diverse activities ranging from showcasing Ainu culture, conducting research, offering educational initiatives, fostering talent development, to managing an extensive collection. It is located in the Shiraoi district of Hokkaido.
The Ainu Culture Promotion Center presents over 300 items of indigenous art, clothing and tools, many of which you can hold in your hands. These artifacts offer a peek into the culture and history of the Ainu people. It is located in the Minami Ward of Sapporo.
This museum is dedicated to protecting treasures of Ainu culture, the wellspring of all Hokkaido's history and culture, and preserve them for future generations. It offers visitors a chance to learn and experience the Ainu culture of the Saru River basin through four different zones: Ainu Zone (The Ainu Way of Life), Kamuy Zone (Dramas of the Gods), Mosir Zone (Blessings of the Earth), and the Morew Zone (A Tradition of Figurative Art). Apart from the exhibition, the video stage offers audio performances of the Yukar (heroic epic poems). It is located in the Nibutani area of Biratori.
The exhibition here has over 1,000 pieces, including Ainu folk artifacts collected over 40 years by Kayano Shigeru, the first Ainu Diet Member, as well as folk artifacts and paintings from indigenous peoples around the world. It is located in the Nibutani area of Hokkaido.
Akanko Ainu Kotan is an Ainu village located near Lake Akan. It is home to around 120 Ainu residents and 36 different dwellings. The crowning glory of the area is its theater, which upholds the Ainu tradition of oral communication, telling stories via drama and puppetry. Aside from the theater is the craft village, with a range of traditional shops and restaurants. It is located in Kushiro, Hokkaido.
Built in 1916 and thus just a few years past its 100th anniversary, this museum is less a collection of artefacts (though it has those too) and more the story of a local Ainu family desperate to keep the old ways alive; there are many fascinating, unstaged photographs from the early 20th century. Its founder was Kaneto Kawamura, an Ainu chief and master surveyor, who helped lay the tracks for many challenging rail projects in Japan; he used his savings to start the museum. It is located in Asahikawa, Hokkaido.
This museum documents the natural and cultural history of Ainu life along the Saru River and includes 123 artifacts from the 15th to 17th centuries. It is located in the Nibutani area of Biratori.
This museum exhibits materials for northern area people, such as the Ainu, living along the Sea of Okhotsk. You can try the Ainu’s traditional papercutting, or make and play their traditional musical instruments. It is located in Hakodate, Hokkaido.
This museum introduces the natural environment, history, and industry of Kushiro, as well as Ainu culture, in an easy-to-understand manner with about 4,100 specimens and materials, dioramas, and videos. It is located in Kushiro, Hokkaido.
This museum specifically houses artifacts and exhibits on the Ainu that settled on the south bank of Lake Kussharo, where the museum is now located. Themed exhibits detail the Ainu traditional way of life, including artifacts and informational displays on hunting and gathering, housing, food, clothing, and religion. Learn about the natural and human history of the Kussharo area, and discover how the unique culture of the Ainu allowed them to triumph over Hokkaido’s bitter winters. You can watch a 25-minute video about Ainu history (ask for the English version), which delves into the challenges faced by the Ainu community and present-day efforts to pass on Ainu traditions. Visitors can also make traditional Ainu bookmarks and coasters. It is located in the Kawakami district of Teshikaga.
This museum collects and exhibits materials regarding natural history, archaeology, Ainu culture, folklore and history, and fine arts based on its fundamental principles of conveying the nature of Mt. Tarumae and the vast Yufutsu wilderness, and local history and culture to future generations. It is located in Tomakomai, Hokkaido.
Dedicated to the various peoples of the North, across Eurasia and the Americas, this collection includes items relating to the Sámi, Nanai, and Northwest Coast Indians, as well as the more local Okhotsk culture and Ainu. It is located in Abashiri, Hokkaido.