The indigenous people of Hokkaido - AINU

In one of the recent posts, I told you about the Akan National Park and Lake Akan, where the biggest population of Ainu people is living. I'm sure, you heard this word before, but what exactly is Ainu?

The Ainu are the indigenous people of Japan, more precisely of Hokkaido (and also the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin). The word aynu means human in Ainu language, though nowadays there is almost nobody who can still speak this language. This is because the Ainu were suppressed and discriminated for many decades. They were stripped off their land, customs and language by law, in an attempt to assimilate them to the Japanese culture. By the time this law was lifted in 1997, Ainu culture was already at the brink of extinction, and it took many more years for the government to officially recognize the Ainu as Japan's indigenous people (2008). With the new law of recognition and support passed in 2008, the Ainu culture is making it's way back up.
Now, there are many institutions and museums where you can learn about Ainu culture.

 

A great place to learn about Ainu culture is the Ainu Museum Porotokotan in Shiraoi, approx. 2hours by train from Sapporo station.  This is a small outdoor museum at the shore of Lake Poroto with traditional houses, a small indoor museum, animal barns and daily performances on Ainu culture.

 

 

 

 

Another Ainu village is Ainu Kotan at Lake Akan. It's bigger than Porotokotan, but quite far away. I wrote about it in a recent post.

 

Many museums in Sapporo and Hokkaido also have displays on Ainu culture, such as the Historical Museum of Hokkaido or the small museum on the grounds of the Hokkaido University Botanical Garden, that has a small collection of Ainu artifacts.

Whatever place you choose, the Ainu culture is definitely worth exploring! 

 

To the official website of Khaosan Sapporo 

Written by Irene

Akan National Park - a magical place in Hokkaido

Akan National Park is a marvelous place to explore! Designated in 1934 it is (with Daisetsuzan) the oldest National Park in Hokkaido, and rather  big too. It covers 905 km² of thick forest, mountains, volcanoes and lakes - the most famous being Lake Akan (Akan-ko), Lake Masshu (Masshu-ko) and Lake Kussharo (Kussharoko).

Lake Akan is famous for it's Marimo and the biggest population of Ainu, living in Ainukotoan, a small village next to the lake. We told you about it in our last blog entry.

The most famous lake in the National Park is the caldera lake Mashu-ko.  It is one of the deepest lakes in the country and one of the clearest in the world. Often covered in fog, Mashu-ko,  it's considered by many to be Japan's most beautiful lake. When we were there though, it was totally clear!

With a circumference of 57km, Masshu-ko is the biggest lake of the area. It is popular for fishing, kayaking, cycling and onsen. You can even make your own little hot bath by digging a hole into the sand at the lake shore!

At the Southern end of the lake, the Wakoto peninsula offers a very nice outdoor onsen and a walking train around the peninsula. Halfway through the walking trail you will see the steam rising up from the shore of the lake, as there are some sulfurous vents at the tip of the peninsula.

A lot more steam can be seen at Iozan, which translates to "Sulfur-mountain".This active volcano is located just outside of the mall town Kawayu-Onsen. A beautiful 2,5km walking trail connects the onsen town with the volcano.

To explore the National Park, it's best to have your own four wheels. The lakes and Kawayu-Onsen can be reached by public transport, but there is so much more to see! My advice: rent a car and take your time to explore this magnificent place!

To the official Khaosan Sapporo website

Written by Irene