next to the place where the remains of 34 Ainu have just been returned be it at school or when looking for a job or to get married She was born in a village that no longer exists People would insult them and throw stones at them She grew up thinking that being Indigenous meant being inferior “We have been hiding our whole lives, out of fear, and our history has not been told,” she tells Equal Times. She is working towards changing that, by reviving Ainu culinary traditions. and they continue to do so,” says 71-year-old Fumio Kimura vice president of the Ainu Association of Biratori Kimura wants the Ainu remains that were excavated without permission to be returned to their land “Our history is one of forced displacement My grandparents were forced to leave their place of origin to work on Japanese imperial farms The Ainu people have been living in the shadows for 150 years to satisfy the expansionist ambitions of the Meiji-era government after centuries of coexistence and trading relations Their collision with Japanese colonialism resulted in a painful process of assimilation that has wiped out communities The Ainu were stripped of their livelihoods with the prohibition of their traditional hunting and fishing activities The women were married off to Japanese men “This is the last chance for their struggle They’re not interested in human rights,” says Hiroshi Maruyama head of the Centre for Environment and Minority Policy Studies (CEMiPoS) For this Japanese expert on the environment and Indigenous policies It was announced after [Tokyo won the bid to host] the Olympic Games to attract tourism and to feign respect for minorities one language and one nation is still firmly in place” Kimura recites by heart the names of all the scientists who took part in what they call ‘the grave robbing’ to have contributed to the repatriation of remains he came across a monument commemorating a “former Aboriginal school” in Niikappucho Anesaru (near Biratori) He says he felt a lightning bolt in his head: “The god of lightning woke up the activist in me and I decided to fight to restore the Ainu people’s dignity.” The legal battle led to the prosecution of Hokkaido University but it was not until 2016 that they secured the repatriation of the first remains has kept the remains of more than 1,000 Ainu in a repository outside the campus for decades these remains began their journey to the new Upopoy memorial Kimura was outraged when he learned that there was no written testimony and the repository could not be visited: “Why are they celebrating a building to house the remains of our ancestors and families if they won’t let us in?” They requested access from the government in Tokyo but were given technical excuses But this is not the final outcome they are seeking: “They only see us as research subjects We ask them if studies are still underway but they won’t give us a clear response as it says in Article 12 of the declaration Kimura called the Japanese Ministry of Land Transport and Tourism (in charge of Upopoy) to insist on a plaque but experts from CEMiPoS consider the text to be deceptive given its ambiguity in terms of the historical liabilities: “In some instances the wishes of the Ainu may not have been considered when these remains were excavated and collected,” the plaque states Kimura insists: “Japan is responsible for returning the remains I will not stop until the day I die.” Other Ainu prefer not to look back I hope that one day I will be understood,” he admits then set himself the task of changing history and reached the Japanese parliament There is no one in the community who does not refer to him His son continues to teach in the community library runs a guest house where the Ainu’s identity and language are kept alive: “My grandfather has been a great influence We are in a majority here and that makes us strong even though there is still hate speech on the internet” Sitting alongside him is Rie Kayano who sings and writes songs in the Ainu language Acclaimed local artist Toru Kaizawa also has his studio and shop in the valley This piece of paradise was transformed in 1993 when the government built a dam on the Saru River flanked by sacred mountains and at the heart of the Ainu community Sociologist Masumi Tanaka points to some isolated ruins and explains that the valley is a unique part of Hokkaido The Ainu have long been forced to abandon their rituals in the same way as they had to leave behind their fishing and hunting traditions they built a cultural complex with museums and kotan a village with traditional Ainu dwellings for artisans to show visitors their materials and unique crafts The complex is run with public money and the new Ainu law injects additional funds. According to figures from the Japanese Cabinet Office US$21 million) will be invested in cultural reforestation and tourism programmes in the municipality of Biratori over five years but these will once again be subject to strict regulation: only 20 people will be allowed to fish for ritual purposes and they will only be allowed to fish 50 salmon from September to November Ancestral knowledge is being turned into a business and tourist activity – a day-to-day reality for many Indigenous peoples in today’s world I am invigorated by the theme of Carmen’s article which I shared in the plot of my novel about the Ainu People More needs to be done in the mainstream space to promote the cause of the indigenous people in Japan That’s revolting I really hope that Ainu people will win their fight against Japanese government Thank you for sharing these information about Ainu people Equal Times is a trilingual news and opinion website focusing on labour politics and the economy from a social justice perspective the government is building a modernist shrine (pictured below) that has divided the indigenous Ainu community whose vanishing culture it was designed to celebrate Japan's "Symbolic Space for Ethnic Harmony" is on track to open in time for the 2020 Olympics part of a drive by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to draw millions of foreign visitors to Japan and to the northern city of Sapporo Also known as "Upopoy" or "singing together" in the Ainu language many of which Japan destroyed in its 19th Century colonization of Hokkaido and a memorial housing the bones of hundreds of Ainu whose remains were sent to universities in the 20th Century the project underscores how Japan has failed to come to terms with its history - despite more than a decade of deliberation on how Tokyo could meet its commitments to an indigenous group it officially recognised in 2008 Left: Hachiya wears a traditional Ainu robe with lipstick drawn around her mouth to recreate traditional tattoos commonly worn by Ainu women performs a traditional musical instrumental Mukkur Some Ainu worry the new museum complex is mostly meant to burnish Japan's international standing ahead of the Olympics "I think it's possible it could end up becoming a theme park," said Ainu tattoo artist Mai Hachiya "People would come to see the dancing and other performances Scholars say the Ainu settled in Japan's northernmost island and across Sakhalin practiced an animist religion and spoke a language unrelated to any other Japan took control of Hokkaido by force in the 19th Century and made it a colony which it labelled "former aborigines," to assimilate A 2017 survey counted just over 13,000 Ainu in Hokkaido The actual number is estimated to be much higher because many Ainu fear identifying as other than Japanese and have moved to different parts of the country Ainu children are half as likely to go to college as other Japanese and average household earnings are significantly lower "There are still many people who keep their Ainu identity secret from their children." Ishihara discovered at age 12 that her maternal grandmother was Ainu She describes people detached from their roots as "silent Ainu." after signing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Japan's government began considering how to establish a new policy for the Ainu Early proposals zeroed in quickly on the creation of the government-funded "Symbolic Space" now taking shape on the shore of Lake Poroto near the town of Shiraoi in Hokkaido In consultations that concluded in early 2018 Ainu representatives asked for legal rights to state-owned land more funding for teaching Ainu culture and language and an apology from Japan's government "We can't do something if it is not achievable," said Hiroshi Koyama the official in charge of Japan's Comprehensive Ainu Policy Office Giving back forest where Ainu once hunted and foraged would "be hard for the Japanese people to accept." And he added that an apology would be uncomfortable for many Japanese as well as an insult to the Japanese settlers who built modern Hokkaido "It would focus people's attention on the bad things that happened and not the future," he said as "useless." Discrimination as a child made him decide to embrace his heritage and live as a hunter "It would have been nice if the government had given us a place where we could carry out our traditional rites," said Monbetsu who burns birch shavings in a prayer to the Ainu gods before stalking deer with a shotgun A group representing about 2,000 Ainu supports Abe's project arguing it will provide economic benefits from tourism and a forum focusing on Ainu culture and arts Five of the 20 curators hired for the new museum are Ainu At a former school a short drive from the museum construction site Traditional Ainu coats hang in abandoned classrooms with knives ceremonial sticks and heavy beaded necklaces laid out on tables dancers practice next to stuffed bears and Ainu handicrafts Left: Materials used for making an Ainu tattoo and a notebook which Hachiya made for studying Right: Hachiya cuts her thumb with a razor blade to create a tattoo a draft brochure describes Ainu hunter-gatherer culture as "on the verge of extinction." It makes no reference to Japanese policies that forced Ainu to adopt Japanese names speak Japanese and outlawed practices such as a traditional form of tattooing Hachiya is trying to revive has been asked to practice a routine with other Ainu performers that may be included in the Olympics opening ceremony in Tokyo "I think Hokkaido is a Japanese colony," she said PHOTO EDITING BY MARIKA KOCHIASHVILI; EDITING BY KEVIN KROLICKI BILLY MALLARD AND GERRY DOYLE; LAYOUT JULIA DALRYMPLE A traditional Ainu hut stands in the grounds of Nibutani Ainu Museum Ainu Araki Motoyato wears a traditional costume as he attends a memorial service Ainu artist Koji Yuki smokes a cigarette after building a makeshift altar for a memorial service Yuki (right) and his fellow Ainu Fukumoto Shoji sit in front of a makeshift altar for a memorial service Monbetsu makes a traditional bow and arrow at his house Monbetsu visits a coffee shop and chats with the owner Deer meat (top) and other food is grilled during a barbecue Monbetsu (right) drinks beer with his Ainu friend Taichi Kaizawa (left) and ethnic Japanese friend Jun Honda Usa's daughter Ruino learns a traditional Ainu song from her mother and relatives Ruino practices a traditional Ainu dance before performing at a folk art concert rides on the shoulders of his father's Ainu friend Taichi Kaizawa Lights glow in Nibutani district of Biratori where several Ainu craft shops and a museum are located You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information lit in islands containing artifacts and video installations the voice of tenacious rights activist Shigeru Kayano croaks out words in the threatened language of Japan’s northern indigenous people The exhibition at Japan House London displays Ainu life in a manner unlike previous official presentations Titled “Ainu Stories: Contemporary Lives by the Saru River,” it opened at the state-funded facility in November and focuses on a single community in Biratori The exhibition will continue until April 21 This is not the first presentation of the Biratori Ainu in London; a delegation was brought to the city in 1910 for a very different display of Japanese culture a new national museum devoted to Ainu affairs opened in Shiraoi But this event still represents a departure in their depiction not least for the involvement of the Biratori community “It’s a wonderful thing I think,” said Atsushi Monbetsu a member of the Ainu community who attended the launch event rather we mainly received discrimination.” The Ainu are an indigenous people of Japan who once formed the principal community in Hokkaido and northeast Honshu They coexisted and at times had confrontations with the seat of Japanese power in Tokyo before being decisively brought under its control at the turn of the 20th century The experience of Japanese settlement radically altered their way of life and policies of forced assimilation endangered their culture The starting point of the exhibition at Japan House London is the present with Japan’s highest percentage of Ainu residents has become bolder in advancing its heritage The exhibition introduces practices in food Allowing the community members to speak on their own behalf was at the center of the curation according to Japan House Director of Programming Simon Wright “It was important to have their voices so people can hear for themselves what they want to say and what needs to be said.” A common criticism of previous presentations of Ainu culture is that much was left unsaid members of this community were not able to fully express their distinct culture,” say introductory materials for the exhibition without mentioning why this was the case with Kayano’s activism as a dominant feature does not hide the fact that rights had to be fought for “A series of policies designed to assimilate and ostensibly protect the Ainu resulted in discrimination,” say the text notes “Exhibitions in Japan have tended to present timelines and not address problems and issues in how we live,” said 23-year-old Riku Yuki Since the settlement of Hokkaido from the south control over Ainu identity has been contested with its emphasis on the Ainu describing who they are contrasts with the presentation of them at another Japanese cultural display more than a century ago held roughly 3 kilometers from the current Japan House site contained pavilions with demonstrations of Japanese strength in technology and the arts It also included reconstructed villages that showed Japan as an imperial power with Ainu from the wider Biratori region brought in to populate one The display of the Ainu in such circumstances was meant to highlight the comparative civilization of the new Japanese state and to resonate with Britain in its age of empire Japan House London is the modern counterpart of such state-led efforts to present Japan overseas the facility only now has mounted a major presentation of one of Japan’s minority communities the representation of uncomfortable topics and histories is one of the hardest challenges it can take on But Wright rejects any notion of a coming of age “I suppose I was a little brave in broaching the subject It is something that was thought about right from the beginning.” the Japanese Embassy in London said: “The aim of the exhibition is to enable people in the U.K. to experience firsthand the diversity of Japan and the appeal of the region to reaffirm the splendor of Ainu culture.” and the Biratori community is the focus of the exhibition it ultimately makes a statement about identity in Japan today The capacity of the country to include indigenous peoples within its presentation of itself was a challenge also addressed at the Tokyo Olympics held a year behind schedule in 2021 because of the pandemic While reviews of such past efforts have been mixed the opinions of residents attending the London exhibition launch were positive moved to Biratori and organizes a small tour business “It is hard to change from the inside” she said “If it could be known from outside Japan that the Ainu are alive today that the culture continues and was under threat Will Blathwayt is a staff reporter at The Asahi Shimbun’s London Bureau Ainu woman fights Sugita’s discriminatory remarks EDITORIAL: Time to face up to the past wrongs of robbing the graves of Ainu Nippon TV chief apologizes to Ainu people over comedian’s slur EDITORIAL: Visit the new Ainu museum for insight into their culture Ainu lawsuit over fishing rights test case for much larger issues Information on the latest cherry blossom conditions Please right click to use your browser’s translation function.) A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II In-house News and Messages No reproduction or republication without written permission Japan House London is set to reveal the rich cultural diversity of Japan in this UK-first exploration of contemporary Ainu culture The Ainu are an indigenous people who have been living in northern Japan especially Hokkaido and the surrounding islands members of this community were not able to fully express their distinct culture – a situation which caused many to fear for its long-term survival who was born in 1926 in the small village of Nibutani in Hokkaido’s Biratori area and was the first Ainu to sit in Japan’s parliament sustain and develop this distinct and lesser known of the Japanese cultures This movement continues to gather momentum today in particular among younger members of the Ainu community in Nibutani Ainu Stories: Contemporary Lives by the Saru River has been curated in collaboration with the people of Biratori an area located in Saru River basin in the south of Hokkaido The exhibition explores the significance of Ainu culture for this community and the relationships between its people and their surroundings as well as revealing some interesting historical links between the UK and Biratori It offers UK audiences the chance to experience first-hand examples of Ainu culture as it exists today highlighting its importance in the wider contemporary cultural fabric of Japan Twelve in-depth video interviews provide an intimate visual and oral backdrop to the exhibition’s four central themes which are further brought to life with displays of contemporary Ainu works and film: Visitors to the exhibition can also discover historically significant connections between the UK and Biratori Key figures who forged lasting relationships with the Ainu in the region include missionary John Batchelor from East Sussex who lived and worked with the Ainu community for many years during the late 19th and early 20th centuries fiercely advocating their culture and way of life  He published the first texts about the Ainu language in English including the first Ainu-English dictionary in 1905 The exhibition also explores travelogues of 19th-century explorer and first female member of the Royal Geographical Society whose northernmost point of travel within Japan was Biratori where she stayed with the local community leader’s family the exhibition uncovers the story of Scotsman Dr Neil Gordon Munro the local physician in Nibutani during the 1930s whose work there earned him the love and respect of the Ainu population Director of Programming for Japan House London “This exhibition and the accompanying visits from members of the Ainu community in Biratori is the first time such a major collaborative undertaking with an Ainu community has taken place in the UK exhibitions of Ainu culture in museums have focused on the past Displays are often made up of old ethnographic collections with a range of materials made especially for this project at Japan House London we want to show how Ainu culture in the rural district of Biratori is expressed today.” The exhibition is complemented by a rich programme of events covering Ainu dance policy and craft and ranging in format from talks and demonstrations to workshops and storytelling each event period will feature visitors from Biratori itself including from the Nibutani Ainu Language School the Biratori Ainu Cultural Preservation Society and Biratori Folk Arts Association Featured Image Copyright/Credit – Ogawa Masaki Sign up to get LondonDaily.News delivered to your inbox Bishop’s University (BU) recently hosted a significant cultural event welcoming a group of representatives from Japan’s Indigenous Ainu community the delegation from the Nibutani area of Biratori presented at the university’s McConnell Agora in the Library Learning Commons (LLC) Originating from Japan’s northernmost region actively involved in the Biratori Town Ainu Culture Promotion Association shared their efforts in preserving Hokkaido’s ancient forests traditionally the hunting and gathering grounds for the Ainu people and utilization of essential flora and fauna pivotal for the Ainu cultural traditions a cultural exchange took place when the Ainu community hosted a group of Indigenous students from BU This was facilitated through the Global Skills Opportunity (GSO) grant from Universities Canada under the project “Communicating Across Cultures: Building Intercultural Competencies and Lasting Partnerships in Japan.” Another student delegation from the university is slated to visit Nibutani in May 2024 Following their engagement at the university accompanied by select students and staff from BU they liaised with community members and Elders the Ainu delegation is producing a documentary film capturing their four-day journey EZ Newsite platform by Textuel and TolléWeather information by OpenWeatherMap please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent and visitors are enjoying the sweet fragrance of the white bell-shaped flowers Symbolizing the beginning of summer in Hokkaido this lily of the valley field in the Memu district of Biratori spans approximately 15 hectares and their fragrance is wonderful.” The flower field will be open to the public through June 11 Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The 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