The motifs and culture of Hokkaido’s indigenous inhabitants are introduced to visitors as soon as they arrive at New Chitose Airport. The distinctive swirling, spiny patterns that characterise Ainu artwork, along with themes of their culture, are proudly displayed across Hokkaido, and many Niseko projects borrow inspiration from Ainu culture.
However as has happened in other parts of the world, the Ainu weren’t formally recognised as indigenous people. That changed this year when the government introduced a bill to recognise the Ainu as Japan’s indigenous inhabitants for the first time, and essentially nullified a law passed in 1899 that rejected the culture and enacted steps towards assimilating it into Japanese society.
Before the deliberate settlement of Hokkaido by the Japanese government in the late 1800s, the island was the primary homeland of the Ainu people.
Sparsely populating the island, the Ainu are regarded as a strong and resilient people with an ancient culture connected to animals and nature. Hokkaido’s unique names for towns and locations – including Niseko – often stem from the original Ainu names and differ from the traditional Japanese names given to places.
While Ainu culture has been eroded, the government’s recognition via the recent draft bill gives renewed strength to the surviving people, culture and traditional practices. One of the initiatives of the move is the construction of the National Ainu Museum and Park which opens in nearby Shiraoi in April 2020 – highly recommended if you are able to visit late this winter or on a return visit during the green season. Visit www.ainu-upopoy.jp for details.
Akan-Yukar “Lost Kamuy”
In the small town of Akan in east Hokkaido, the Akan Ainu Kotan (village) has a permanent theatre at which traditional and ancient ceremonial dances are performed. The latest production, Akan-Yukar “Lost Kamuy”, is a digital multi-media spectacular featuring traditional and contemporary dance, music and sound broadcast via 7.1 surround sound system, and 3D digital imagery beamed out via five state-of-the-art projectors. For more information visit akanainu.jp/lostkamuy.
This article appeared in Powderlife 2020
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