In this episode of Explore Japan, join us as we discover the vibrant culture and traditions of Japan's Indigenous Ainu people in Hokkaido.
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00:00Hokkaido is famous for its piping hot springs and snow-capped ski resorts.
00:07From a winter wonderland, Japan's northernmost main island transforms throughout the seasons,
00:13emerging as summer turns to autumn as a verdant landscape ripe for exploration.
00:19It's here, against this fertile backdrop, that an indigenous culture is undergoing a revival.
00:27In 2008, Japan adopted a resolution to recognize the Ainu as an indigenous people,
00:35and the Upopoi National Ainu Museum and Park was born, officially opening to the public in 2020.
00:43Native of Hokkaido, with customs and rituals dating back to the 13th century,
00:49the Ainu are a people of folklore and festivals,
00:52hunter-gatherers with their own language who live sustainably off the land.
01:22While at Upopoi, I decided to sign up for a lesson in Ainu cooking.
01:42So tell me, what are we cooking today?
01:53The typical Ainu diet comprises two meals a day featuring locally sourced fish and meat,
01:59roasted or boiled in a kombu broth with root vegetables and mountain herbs,
02:04all cured and preserved to ensure zero waste.
02:07And is everything in the dish locally sourced?
02:23Upopoi's reproduction Ainu Kotan, or village, comprises Ainu houses traditionally made from natural materials,
02:32with thatched roofs and walls constructed from reeds.
02:35Here, visitors can try on traditional-style Ainu clothing.
02:40Outdoors, on the open-air stage, time-honored Ainu musical performances take place,
02:46passing on Ainu histories not only to future generations of Ainu, but to visitors from around the world.
02:55Rather poetically, the name of the museum, Upopoi, means to sing together as a group in Ainu.
03:03After exploring Upopoi, I fly to Kashiro to visit modern-day Ainu village, Akanko Ainu Kotan,
03:10and attend its famous Marimo Festival.
03:13Formed from volcanic activity 6,000 years ago,
03:17Lake Akan in Kashiro contains the rare Marimo hidden within its depths.
03:24These velvety, moss-like walls are a form of spherical algae that grow underwater
03:29at a snail's pace of just 5 millimeters a year,
03:32and Lake Akan is reputed to be home to some of the biggest Marimo anywhere on Earth.
03:43I was born and raised in an Ainu family.
03:46I received everything I needed for my daily life from nature, in other words, from God.
03:52That's why I never polluted the river or the lake.
03:57That's a basic principle, and it's something that everyone has kept.
04:03In the old days, I received everything,
04:08everything I needed for my daily life from nature.
04:13That's why I thank nature for everything.
04:18Taking place over three days in early October,
04:21the Marimo Festival includes dances, ceremonies, and parades
04:25to protect the Marimo, honor the Ainu gods, and pass Ainu customs on to future generations.
04:32Traditional Ainu dance has been recognized as an UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
04:39After a day of preparation, the Marimo Festival officially begins with a poignant torch-lit parade.
04:46It's clear that while carrying a torch for the past,
04:49today's Ainu represent a forward-looking, sustainable community
04:53keen to share their rich and diverse culture with the world.