Explore Japan's indigenous Ainu culture: Upopoy & Marimo Festival

In this episode of Explore Japan, join us as we discover the vibrant culture and traditions of Japan's Indigenous Ainu people in Hokkaido.

Transcript

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.