The Representation of Ainu Culture in the Japanese Museum System

Abstract

Abstract / Resume Ainu culture was once considered to be useless or represented as the relic of the past. In the 1990s, however, there were some events regarding Ainu cultural promotion and they increased opportunities for the wider society to become aware of the Ainu. Despite these events, there are conflicts over the way the Ainu are represented culturally. The lack of contemporary culture from permanent exhibitions is another problem. This article reviews Ainu cultural representation in the Japanese museum system and discusses what the conflicts are, why the lack of contemporary culture is a problem, and why this problem remains unsolved. La culture des Ainous a deja ete consideree inutile ou representee comme une relique du passe. Toutefois, dans les annees 1990, on a organise des evenements de promotion de la culture ainoue qui ont accru les possibilites de sensibilisation de l'ensemble de la societe aux Ainous. Malgre ces evenements, la representation culturelle des Ainous fait l'objet de conflits. Le manque de representations culturelles contemporaines dans les expositions permanentes est egalement un probleme. L'article traite de la representation culturelle des Ainous dans le systeme museal japonais et presente les conflits en cours en expliquant pourquoi le manque de representations culturelles contemporaines est un probleme et pourquoi il n'est toujours pas resolu. Introduction The Ainu are an Aboriginal people of Japan, the majority of whom have lived in the northern island of Hokkaido, and in part, the Kurile Islands and southern Sakhalin (see Figure 1). The origin of the Ainu is still under investigation. However, it is considered that human first settled in Hokkaido more than 20,000 years ago and the characteristics of Ainu culture was gradually formed between the middle of the eighth century and the fourteenth century (regarding the origin of the Ainu and their culture, see Siddle 1996; Fitzhugh and Dubreuil 1999). According to the Survey of Living Condition of the Ainu produced by the Hokkaido local government, the 1999 estimated population of the Ainu was 23,767, 0.02% of the total population of Japan (Ainu Affairs Office 2001:20). The actual Ainu population is, however, estimated to be more than that for several reasons. First, these statistics do not include Ainu who live outside Hokkaido since the Hokkaido local government does not conduct the survey outside Hokkaido. second, these statistics represent the number of the Ainu who replied to the Survey of Living Condition of the Ainu. The Ainu who did not reply to the survey are therefore not included in these statistics. In addition, the Hokkaido Ainu Association has requested the Hokkaido local government not to send questionnaire forms to the Ainu who do not want to be known as Ainu for fear of discrimination. Historically, the Ainu have experienced hardships and racism similar to what other Aboriginal peoples in the world experienced: long-term colonization by the Japanese, the Government's policy of assimilation, the relocation of community, the spread of disease, a decreasing of population, and discrimination. The Ainu have not been widely recognized in the international literature on Aboriginal studies until relatively recently. In English-speaking countries, however, specialists on East Asian studies have often discussed the issues of the Ainu. Some research results in English, especially the history of the Ainu, are now becoming available (e.g., Siddle 1996; 1997a; 1997b; 2002; 2003; Cheung 1996; 2000; 2003; 2004; 2005; Fitzhugh and Dubreuil 1999; Walker 2001 ; lrimoto and Yamada 2004; Howell 2005). Like Canada's First Nations culture, Ainu culture has been represented as savage, uncivilized, and exotic. For several decades after World War II, the Ainu were considered to be extinct or assimilated. In the 1990s, however, there were some important events regarding Ainu cultural promotion. In the international context, the year 1993 was the International Year of the World's Indigenous People. …

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