insights from frontier Japan

An Ainu cultural and academic research group in the town of Bihoro in the Okhotsk region, which is involved in the preservation of Ainu culture, held a ‘cipusanke’ (boat launching ceremony) for a ‘itaomacip’ (timber boat) used by the Ainu for open sea voyages, at Ranshima Beach in the city of Otaru in central Hokkaido on September 19.

The Onbetsu Town Administrative Center in the Eastern Hokkaido city of Kushiro started selling two new folding fans made from "fukigami paper" and featuring Ainu designs. Fukigami paper is a type of Japanese paper made from the peels of butterbur, a special plant grown in the town. Two artists from the Akanko Hot Spring area created the design with assistance from General Incorporated Association Akan Ainu Consulting. The designs were inspired by butterbur growing in Onbetsu.

The Foundation for Ainu Culture manages the Ainu culture revival hub "Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park" (Shiraoi Town). In order to heighten awareness of ancient Ainu ceremonial dances that have been passed down through generations in various areas around Hokkaido, the Foundation has started inviting culture preservation societies from different areas to perform dances at Upopoy. Up through February of next year, culture preservation societies from various areas will teach about the characteristics and traditions of their areas through their dances.

More than two years have passed since the first law recognizing the Ainu ethnic minority as an Indigenous people took effect in May 2019, with that legislation designed to protect and promote their culture through subsidies.

Starting in late March, Hokkaido Coca-Cola Bottling (Sapporo) began selling special Hokkaido-only bottles featuring an indigenous Ainu pattern in the design. The bottle design was crafted by Sekine Maki (53), an Ainu craft artist based in the town of Biratori in the Hidaka area.

On May 21, activity tourism provider Akan Adventure Tourism (Akan Town, Kushiro City) will begin offering "Kamuy Lumina, an Enchanted Night Walk at Lake Akan", a nighttime Lake Akan lakeside forest walk enhanced by lights and video with an Ainu myth theme. A multilingual guide app will heighten convenience for foreign tourists and the hearing impaired.

Nine organizations, including a fruit orchard in the Toyama district of Minami-ku, Sapporo and a Sapporo travel agent have teamed up to create the “Active Village Toyama Executive Committee” and, on February 17, began moves to make the Toyama district into a new tourist destination.

The "Akan Yukar Utasa Festival" displays the amazingness of the Ainu culture that exists in the Lake Akan area of eastern Hokkaido's Kushiro City. Starting on February 13, it was held for 2 days at the Lake Akan Ainu Kotan settlement. It was held without a physical audience to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus. Performances including prayer ceremonies to the gods and ancient Ainu ritual dances were broadcast online for free.

Products featuring traditional Ainu designs are becoming popular in the Sapporo area. One reason is thought to be the July 2020 opening of Ainu culture revival hub "Ainu Culture Preservation Society (Upopoy)" (Shiraoi Town, central Hokkaido). Another reason is possibly the continuing spread of the novel coronavirus generating a rise in interest for designs with imbedded "warding off evil" symbolism, differing with region and product type.