Six themes from the Ainu perspectives

The permanent exhibition introduces the Ainu language, history and culture from the perspectives of the Ainu. The Ainu are an indigenous people to Hokkaido, Sakhalin, Tohoku and the Kuril Islands, and the exhibition spans the history of humankind in the region from 30,000 years ago to the present day. Visitors can experience the Ainu language from a range of linguistic traditions based in different areas through writing on signs and panels and the audio guides available for rental. A smartphone pplication incorporating the audio guide is also scheduled for release.

Permanent Exhibition Room　MAP

1. itakOur Language
2. inomiOur Universe
3. urespaOur Lives
4. upaskumaOur History
5. nepkiOur Work
6. ukoapkasOur Exchange
7. ikere usi “tempatempa”Interactive Station “tempatempa” ikere usi “tempatempa”Interactive Station “tempatempa” ikere usi “tempatempa”Interactive Station “tempatempa”
8. 文化財保存の
   取り組み

itak
Our Language

Learn about the Ainu language through stories, place names and current initiatives to promote its use. The exhibition gives visitors the opportunity to hear Ainu as if they were sitting around a hearth, play games to learn pronunciation and word order, and watch videos about place names and conversational Ainu.

inomi
Our Universe

Spirituality is a central aspect of Ainu culture. The exhibition includes graphics illustrating the Ainu belief that ramat (spirits) exist all around us. Various artefacts relating to a rage of Ainu rituals are also on display, such as a 6m-long wooden pole used to hold bears during the iyomante ritual from Sakhalin.

urespa
Our Lives

Discover the Ainu way of life through tools and videos relating to dress, cuisine, lodgings, music, dance and children’s games. The exhibit contains demonstrations of traditions that have been passed down through the generations, including making thread from bark stripped from Manchurian elm and an actual loom.

upaskuma
Our History

This area tells the story of the Ainu through their own history and the evidence left by peoples in surrounding regions. In the exhibition, the upper section of the wall displays a chronology of major events in the history of the Ainu people together with related maps.

nepki
Our Work

Learn about the past and present work of the Ainu. The first half of the exhibition introduces tools and techniques used in hunting, fishing, farming and gathering and an area showing how these tasks change throughout the year. The second half covers work and crafts that have been around since the Meiji Era (1868-1912). Examples of tools and works help to illustrate the work that Ainu people engage in today.

ukoapkas
Our Exchange

See how the Ainu have engaged in exchanges with the peoples around them throughout history. The most striking part of the exhibition is the itaomacip (oceangoing boat) discovered at Lake Akkeshi that has been restored after being received from the Akkeshi Town collection.