So I'll jump right to it! I totally glossed over the Ainu Cultural Festival I went to see in Asahikawa, back in December. You might be wondering 'what the hell is an Ainu?'
If that's the case, here's the short short answer:
The Ainu were indigenous people living in Ezo (present day Hokkaido), and the islands above and near it (Kuril islands and Sakhalin). Basically, when Japan was afraid Russia would come and annex/conquer Hokkaido, they colonized it first. No colonizing is complete without the required assimilation. Well, the Ainu were no exceptions, they had to become Japanese. They were forbidden to speak their language, Japanese was required. Ironically enough, the government now reversed the trend and is trying to preserve the Ainu language before it dies out.
Tl;dr: Google it.
I think the Ainu are fascinating, including their language(s) and religion (animism). Not to mention their wooden crafts and embroidery are so beautiful! Don't believe me? Judge for yourself:
A random postcard I bought recently, and pictures of outfits and crafts from the festival. They're not the greatest, but it gives you an idea.
The festival was fun, it was free, and everyone got a packet with the program and-- a mukkuri. If you watch the video I made, you can see some of the traditional dances and hear the Ainu language, and the sound of a mukkuri. (I would embed it, but it's rather long...)
Here's mine:
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| I haven't tried yet, I think I'm afraid to try and fail... |
Here are some earrings I bought in an Ainu crafts shop in Hakodate (yet another trip to blog about!):
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| I agonized over the shape and color, not to mention wanting a phone strap! |
If you knew nothing about the Ainu, I hope you learned a little, and maybe you're even interested to look for more!
If you knew some things, I hope you enjoyed the video and seeing their traditions for yourself.
Stay tuned for the next
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