Museums

The National Ainu Museum is the first national museum to come into existence in Japan specializing in the research and display of Ainu culture. It was established to revive and further develop the culture of the Ainu people.
The museum is a part of Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park (also known as “symbolic space for ethnic harmony” in Japanese), a national project that seeks to revive and further develop Ainu culture as a “valued culture of our country” and build a “vibrant society with a rich and diverse culture free from discrimination” that respects the dignity of Indigenous Peoples. As a core facility of Upopoy, the National Ainu Museum seeks to uphold its mission “to respect the dignity of the Ainu as an Indigenous People, promote correct knowledge and understanding concerning Ainu history and culture at home and abroad, and contribute to the further development and creation of new Ainu culture”. It carries out exhibits of Ainu culture, research, educational programs, human resource development, and collection management.

At Upopoy, information and services are provided in multiple languages so that speakers of various languages can learn about and experience Ainu culture easily.

Main works

Tukusis is a stake used by the Sakhalin Ainu to tie a bear cub to in their bear spirit-sending ritual. It was re-created between 2019 and 2020 by Mokottunas Kitahara (Center for Ainu and Indigenous Studies, Hokkaido University) , Mukar Yamamichi and Cikenkio Yamada (Upopoy). The National Ainu Museum is the only museum that displays the stake and bear ornaments together. The stake, which splits into two, is a pine tree (Abies sachalinensis) measuring approximately 6m (its original size was 10m) and was cut from a forest in Shiraoi town where the museum is located. The inaw attached to the end of the stake was carved from a reproduction of a small knife used to carve inaw in Sakhalin. The headdress, earings and backpieces on the cub were made based on research into Ainu materials in museums in Russia, Tokyo, Osaka and Abashiri.