2021.Dec. 9th
12th J-ARC Net Open SeminarContemporary Tourism
Development and Ainu Community
in Hokkaido
Mayumi Okada
Hokkaido University, Center for Advanced Tourism Studies

Introduction
 Aim of this paper To capture the contemporary relationship between the Ainu people and tourism in Hokkaido
through an overview of this historical context
 To present challenges and initiatives arisen from the recent tourism development.

Upopoy-National Ainu Museum

Panels at Sapporo station

Traditional Ceremony with tourists at Akan

Ainu people and Tourism: Three Phases Meiji era (1968-1912)  the first phase in contact between the Ainu people and organized or industrial tourism
 nation building-Ainu portrait ‘exotic’ and ‘primitive’, attractions for and by Wajin (ethnic Japanese) Hokkaido Travel Boom Time (1960s -) while domestic tourists flocking to Hokkaido, Ainu culture still treated as backward
 predatory exploitation by Wajin operators, Indigenous entrepreneurs criticized internally as ‘tourism
Ainu’ vehicle for revitalizing traditional culture and fostering cultural successors

 Current Phase (2008-)
 Japan’s Ainu Policy Promotion and National Ainu facility ‘Upopoy’ open at 2020.
 new phase for Ainu people and tourism development

 Current Phase (2010s-)
 “Irankarapte (the Ainu greeting) campaign” since 2013

Irankarapte campaign at New Chitose Air port
Collaboration with Hokkaido Beer company

 Current Phase (2008-)
 National Ainu facility ‘Upopoy-A Symbolic Space for Ethnic Harmony’ open at 2020

https://ainu-upopoy.jp/en/facility/

New phases for Ainu people and tourism development
 Upopoy’s primary role
• National center for revitalizing Ainu culture• National facility for promoting understanding of Ainu history and culture among awider range of people

Ainu language comes fist at signage in Upopoy

Exhibition of National Ainu Museum

Traditional dance performance at theater

New phases for Ainu people and tourism development
 Ainu policy promotion atmunicipality level andtourism• 28+1 municipalities are
implementing Ainu tourism
promotion project, 7 haveprojects to promote
branding Ainu culture

Target of subsidies for regional Ainu policy promotion
Promoting culture
1. Reproduction of
traditional space forculture and living

Promoting regional industry
3. Ainu tourism
promotion

Community Support
7. Public facility for
Ainu community

4. Branding Ainu Craftarts
8. Support for Ainu elderly

2. Cultural program

5. Assistingtransportation forregional accessibility

6. Sustainable supplyof forest resource forwood carving

9. Children’s leaning
support（source：Cabinet Office Ainu Policy https://www8.cao.go.jp/ainu/index.html）

Akan

 Cultural promotion
through Tradition
Ainu Traditional Dance＋
Contemporary Dance+
Digital Art

Images from https://www.akanainu.jp/lostkamuy/en/

Akan



A year-round guided tour by
the Ainu people

Image from https://en.anytimeainutime.jp/New challenges and initiatives
Lack of an equitable partnership between the Ainu people and tourism industry
 Due to rise of interest Ainu culture, Ainu language and patterns are now often
used on commercial products without original cultural context• Some local Ainu organizations are trying to protect their intellectual property
rights by establishing equitable collaboration with tourism enterprises
No effective legal mechanism in place to protect traditional knowledge and lackof understanding on the part of business operators for the protection of
intellectual properties of Ainu peopleConclusion
Ainu people and tourism development• Within the global Indigenous movements and Japan’s Ainu policy promotion,
relationship between Ainu people and Hokkaido tourism is shifting to a newphases.
• Noted that as a (post)colonial mindset has not been completely extinguishedfrom tourism stakeholders, nor from the contemporary society of Japan.
• To realize sustainable and inclusive tourism development with, by, for Ainu
people in Hokkaido, more efforts to establish ethical and practical scheme
ensuring recognition, respect, and reciprocity.