Irankarapte! One of the highlights of my Hokkaido trip was Upopoy Ainu Museum & Park. I’d been researching Ainu culture for a while now so experiencing song, dance, a recreation kotan (village), and more was really exceptional.
May 16, 2025 at 3:21 AM
Irankarapte! One of the highlights of my Hokkaido trip was Upopoy Ainu Museum & Park. I’d been researching Ainu culture for a while now so experiencing song, dance, a recreation kotan (village), and more was really exceptional.
Ainu flesh and Kamuy spirit 🩸🐻
September 18, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Ainu flesh and Kamuy spirit 🩸🐻
Always will stand behind the Ainu
An Ainu group in Hokkaido has filed Japan's first lawsuit demanding the government return 279 ancestral remains held at the state-run Upopoy memorial. They argue that under Ainu tradition the community, not the state, holds the right to care for its dead.
Ainu Group Demands Return of 279 Remains Held by Japan's Government
The lawsuit, the first of its kind, argues that Ainu burial tradition vests the right to manage their remains in the kotan (community).
unseen-japan.com
May 26, 2026 at 6:46 AM
Always will stand behind the Ainu
Japan's 1899 Hokkaido Former Natives Protection Law banned Ainu traditions, forbade the Ainu language, and forced the transfer of Ainu lands to Japanese settlers. It remained on the books until 1997.
Sapporo Lets "Ainu Aren't Indigenous" Panel Exhibit Run - Again - Despite Opposition
The city of Sapporo cleared a display that denies the legal status of the Ainu - and that appears to violate anti-discrimination laws.
unseen-japan.com
April 25, 2026 at 8:36 AM
Japan's 1899 Hokkaido Former Natives Protection Law banned Ainu traditions, forbade the Ainu language, and forced the transfer of Ainu lands to Japanese settlers. It remained on the books until 1997.
An Ainu group in Hokkaido has filed Japan's first lawsuit demanding the government return 279 ancestral remains held at the state-run Upopoy memorial. They argue that under Ainu tradition the community, not the state, holds the right to care for its dead.
Ainu Group Demands Return of 279 Remains Held by Japan's Government
The lawsuit, the first of its kind, argues that Ainu burial tradition vests the right to manage their remains in the kotan (community).
unseen-japan.com
May 26, 2026 at 12:05 AM
An Ainu group in Hokkaido has filed Japan's first lawsuit demanding the government return 279 ancestral remains held at the state-run Upopoy memorial. They argue that under Ainu tradition the community, not the state, holds the right to care for its dead.
NEW: Hokkaido University spent a century collecting 1,000+ Ainu ancestral remains for research that assumed the Ainu were "inferior." Ainu families had to sue to get them back. Only now, before its 150th anniversary, has it apologized.
Hokkaido University Apologizes for a Century of Ainu Remains Research
After many years of calling its actions "extremely regrettable," Hokkaido University has finally apologized for how it handled Ainu remains.
unseen-japan.com
July 30, 2026 at 12:00 PM
NEW: Hokkaido University spent a century collecting 1,000+ Ainu ancestral remains for research that assumed the Ainu were "inferior." Ainu families had to sue to get them back. Only now, before its 150th anniversary, has it apologized.
ICYMI: Japan's government reaffirmed the Ainu as indigenous after the Conservative Party leader questioned their status. Despite this pushback, critics say Japan's laws still don't go far enough to protect Ainu rights.
buff.ly/0dAWHcq
buff.ly/0dAWHcq
Japan Confirms Ainu Indigenous Rights After Right-Wing Politician's Statement - Unseen Japan
Ainu rights are in the news again after the head of the Conservative Party of Japan questioned their indigenous status.
unseen-japan.com
May 16, 2026 at 9:07 AM
ICYMI: Japan's government reaffirmed the Ainu as indigenous after the Conservative Party leader questioned their status. Despite this pushback, critics say Japan's laws still don't go far enough to protect Ainu rights.
buff.ly/0dAWHcq
buff.ly/0dAWHcq
Just heard a Youtuber pronounce Shiba Inu as "Shiba Ainu".
April 24, 2026 at 1:29 AM
Just heard a Youtuber pronounce Shiba Inu as "Shiba Ainu".
The work of Ainu poet Iboshi Hokuto and others was integral to a movement keen on eliminating the "dying race" rhetoric perpetuated by the Japanese. Through his poetry and activism, Iboshi sought to dismantle Ainu stereotypes and rekindle pride in Ainu culture and identity.
Iboshi Hokuto: The Legacy of the Ainu Poet-Activist - Unseen Japan
How Ainu poet and scholar Iboshi Hokuto spent his short life preserving and promoting Ainu culture in the face of colonialism.
unseen-japan.com
June 25, 2026 at 8:19 PM
The work of Ainu poet Iboshi Hokuto and others was integral to a movement keen on eliminating the "dying race" rhetoric perpetuated by the Japanese. Through his poetry and activism, Iboshi sought to dismantle Ainu stereotypes and rekindle pride in Ainu culture and identity.
Ainu woman, northern Japan. About 1920’s
September 8, 2026 at 6:24 PM
Ainu woman, northern Japan. About 1920’s
Happy Valentine's Day from Pavetta and Ainu!
February 14, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Happy Valentine's Day from Pavetta and Ainu!
Japan didn't pass a law to promote Ainu cultural traditions until 1997. It then took until 2019 for a law officially recognizing the Ainu as indigenous. Critics argue the law still doesn't go far enough.
buff.ly/F7WkW1Q
buff.ly/F7WkW1Q
Japan Confirms Ainu Indigenous Rights After Right-Wing Politician's Statement - Unseen Japan
Ainu rights are in the news again after the head of the Conservative Party of Japan questioned their indigenous status.
unseen-japan.com
April 23, 2026 at 7:18 AM
Japan didn't pass a law to promote Ainu cultural traditions until 1997. It then took until 2019 for a law officially recognizing the Ainu as indigenous. Critics argue the law still doesn't go far enough.
buff.ly/F7WkW1Q
buff.ly/F7WkW1Q
ICYMI: Hokkaido University issued its first formal apology for collecting more than 1,000 Ainu ancestral remains for research it now admits was built on discrimination. Read below on how Ainu families fought to bring their ancestors home.
Hokkaido University Apologizes for a Century of Ainu Remains Research
After many years of calling its actions "extremely regrettable," Hokkaido University has finally apologized for how it handled Ainu remains.
unseen-japan.com
August 29, 2026 at 1:00 AM
ICYMI: Hokkaido University issued its first formal apology for collecting more than 1,000 Ainu ancestral remains for research it now admits was built on discrimination. Read below on how Ainu families fought to bring their ancestors home.
I am proud to share the website my students and I collaborated on this term showcasing UCLA's Ainu-related collections! ✨ Together we researched holdings of the library, Special Collections, and Fowler Museum to document and enhance catalog information on their materials. peopleofthenorth.github.io
June 10, 2026 at 10:26 PM
I am proud to share the website my students and I collaborated on this term showcasing UCLA's Ainu-related collections! ✨ Together we researched holdings of the library, Special Collections, and Fowler Museum to document and enhance catalog information on their materials. peopleofthenorth.github.io
ICYMI: 279 Ainu remains, taken from Hokkaido graves by university researchers over a century ago, sit in a state-run memorial. Now an Ainu group is suing Japan's government to bring them home, the first lawsuit of its kind.
Ainu Group Demands Return of 279 Remains Held by Japan's Government
The lawsuit, the first of its kind, argues that Ainu burial tradition vests the right to manage their remains in the kotan (community).
unseen-japan.com
June 26, 2026 at 8:07 PM
ICYMI: 279 Ainu remains, taken from Hokkaido graves by university researchers over a century ago, sit in a state-run memorial. Now an Ainu group is suing Japan's government to bring them home, the first lawsuit of its kind.
Ainu, early 20th century, Hokkaido, Japan
December 22, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Ainu, early 20th century, Hokkaido, Japan
I found an Ainu pipe and later an Ainu guy came to my camp. Atsu asked if it was all right to use and he was like yeah blaze up. So now in some scenes Atsu puffs tuff.
January 5, 2026 at 4:56 AM
I found an Ainu pipe and later an Ainu guy came to my camp. Atsu asked if it was all right to use and he was like yeah blaze up. So now in some scenes Atsu puffs tuff.
TureppoN, the mascot of Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park in Hokkaido, is a bulb of turep, a plant from which the Ainu people extract starch to use in medicines and cooking.
January 3, 2024 at 6:23 PM
TureppoN, the mascot of Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park in Hokkaido, is a bulb of turep, a plant from which the Ainu people extract starch to use in medicines and cooking.
When Japan colonized Hokkaido in the 1860s, scientific elites from prominent universities plundered Ainu graveyards without consent, framing it as anthropological research. That's how 1,600+ Ainu remains ended up at 12 universities.
Ainu Group Demands Return of 279 Remains Held by Japan's Government
The lawsuit, the first of its kind, argues that Ainu burial tradition vests the right to manage their remains in the kotan (community).
unseen-japan.com
June 2, 2026 at 7:26 PM
When Japan colonized Hokkaido in the 1860s, scientific elites from prominent universities plundered Ainu graveyards without consent, framing it as anthropological research. That's how 1,600+ Ainu remains ended up at 12 universities.
Spurred by colonialist propaganda that called his people "a dying race," Iboshi Hokuto spent his short life in service to his belief that "only the Ainu could save the Ainu." Learn his story.
unseen-japan.com/iboshi-hokut...
unseen-japan.com/iboshi-hokut...
Iboshi Hokuto: The Legacy of the Ainu Poet-Activist - Unseen Japan
How Ainu poet and scholar Iboshi Hokuto spent his short life preserving and promoting Ainu culture in the face of colonialism.
unseen-japan.com
July 10, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Spurred by colonialist propaganda that called his people "a dying race," Iboshi Hokuto spent his short life in service to his belief that "only the Ainu could save the Ainu." Learn his story.
unseen-japan.com/iboshi-hokut...
unseen-japan.com/iboshi-hokut...
Ghost of Yotei will heavily feature the Ainu, the indigenous people of Hokkaido and northern Japan!
"We also went to Hokkaido to research Ainu culture, and had people knowledgeable about Ainu culture introduce us to museums and folk crafts, which we incorporated into the worldview of this game…
"We also went to Hokkaido to research Ainu culture, and had people knowledgeable about Ainu culture introduce us to museums and folk crafts, which we incorporated into the worldview of this game…
April 29, 2025 at 12:30 AM
Ghost of Yotei will heavily feature the Ainu, the indigenous people of Hokkaido and northern Japan!
"We also went to Hokkaido to research Ainu culture, and had people knowledgeable about Ainu culture introduce us to museums and folk crafts, which we incorporated into the worldview of this game…
"We also went to Hokkaido to research Ainu culture, and had people knowledgeable about Ainu culture introduce us to museums and folk crafts, which we incorporated into the worldview of this game…
The Ainu inhabited Hokkaido, Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands for roughly 20,000 years before significant Japanese colonization. Their population declined from an estimated 50,000 in 1600 to around 20,000 by 1800.
Japan Confirms Ainu Indigenous Rights After Right-Wing Politician's Statement
Ainu rights are in the news again after the head of the Conservative Party of Japan questioned their indigenous status.
unseen-japan.com
April 17, 2026 at 8:43 AM
The Ainu inhabited Hokkaido, Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands for roughly 20,000 years before significant Japanese colonization. Their population declined from an estimated 50,000 in 1600 to around 20,000 by 1800.
Winter is approaching! North Japan's winters are especially cold. Historically, Hokkaido Ainu lived in above ground houses year round.
Enciw (Sakhalin Ainu) & those on the Kurils would live in pit dwellings during winter which were more suited to the especially long & harsh winters in these regions.
Enciw (Sakhalin Ainu) & those on the Kurils would live in pit dwellings during winter which were more suited to the especially long & harsh winters in these regions.
November 18, 2024 at 1:06 PM
Winter is approaching! North Japan's winters are especially cold. Historically, Hokkaido Ainu lived in above ground houses year round.
Enciw (Sakhalin Ainu) & those on the Kurils would live in pit dwellings during winter which were more suited to the especially long & harsh winters in these regions.
Enciw (Sakhalin Ainu) & those on the Kurils would live in pit dwellings during winter which were more suited to the especially long & harsh winters in these regions.
Even now, hundreds of Ainu remains that no family has reclaimed sit in a memorial facility at Upopoy, the national Ainu museum. In May 2026, one Ainu group sued the state to bring 279 of them home.
Hokkaido University Apologizes for a Century of Ainu Remains Research
After many years of calling its actions "extremely regrettable," Hokkaido University has finally apologized for how it handled Ainu remains.
unseen-japan.com
August 6, 2026 at 1:00 AM
Even now, hundreds of Ainu remains that no family has reclaimed sit in a memorial facility at Upopoy, the national Ainu museum. In May 2026, one Ainu group sued the state to bring 279 of them home.