“Ainu” people who were living harmony with natural is important in Hokkaido history. In Ainu language, Ainu means “human beings”. "Shiraoi Town" is one of the Ainu’s settlements. Ainu people have built up the museum at the lakeside of Poroto Lake and putting good effort in order to hand down, keep and also to spread their tradition, etc. As the result of their efforts, National Ainu Ethnic Museum / National Ethic Symbiosis Park is scheduled to be opened in year 2020 at the lakeside of Poroto Lake. Today, we are going to introduce the symbol of Ainu’s culture.
Ainu’s culture is spread from Shiraoi to the world
Toward the public release of "National Ainu Ethnic Museum / National Ethnic Symbiosis Park" in Shiraoi-cho, Shiraoi-gun, Hokkaido on 24th April 2020, a National Ethnic Symbiosis Park that can experience the ethic traditional culture and National Ainu Ethnic Museum, etc are built on the 10 hectares land of the lakeside of Poroto Lake. Besides, there is a memorial facility built at the east of the Poroto Lake.
National Ainu Ethnic Museum: Introduction from the view point of Ainu people.
As the first national museum in the northernmost part of Japan, and also as the first national museum in Hokkaido, "National Ainu Ethnic Museum" introduces about Ainu’s history and culture in an easy-to-understand method. In the museum, there are total of 6 areas which exhibits about the past, present and future culture of the viewpoint by Ainu people. Besides, there are also "Kid’s exhibition area" where kids can learn about Ainu culture by directly touch and play by themselves.
National Ethnic Symbiosis Park where reproduce the traditional Ainu Kotan (village) and the rich natural environment
There are Ainu traditional Kotan (Village), etc built in National Ethnic Symbiosis Park area which utilize the rich natural environment and provide facilities for experience exchange. This is the park that respects the Ainu culture that coexisted with nature, and lead to the succession of the Ainu culture and the creation and development of the new Ainu culture towards the future through the method of creating relaxing space by utilizing the natural environment.
At the experience exchange facility, you can experience about Ainu culture through a variety of programs such as Ainu ancient dance and Ainu language which were designated as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage, Mukkuri performance, traditional birth, wood carving, embroidery production, etc. At the Kotan Zone, traditional houses (chise) and workshops are reproduced (chise means building in Ainu language), etc. Besides, at here you can also experience traditional living such as hunting, collecting, cultivation, traditional rituals such as Kamuinomi (prayer), etc of Ainu people as well.
Spot information
- Spot name：National Ainu Ethnic Museum / National Ethnic Symbiosis Park
- Open：24th April 2020
- Address：Shiraoi-cho, Shiraoi-gun, Hokkaido
- Access：Take the express train from JR "Sapporo station" and get off at JR "Shirao station". Approximate travel time is 60 minutes.
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