National Ainu Museum

The National Ainu Museum is Japan’s first national museum dedicated exclusively to the exhibition, research, and study of Ainu culture. It was established to promote the revitalization and development of Ainu culture and serves as the core facility of Upopoy (the Symbolic Space for Ethnic Harmony), a national project recognising Ainu culture as an essential part of Japan’s cultural heritage. The museum and Upopoy opened on 12 July 2020.

The museum’s mission is to respect the dignity of the Ainu as an Indigenous people and to promote accurate understanding of Ainu history and culture in Japan and internationally. Its activities include exhibitions, academic research, education and public outreach, human resource development, and the preservation and management of cultural materials.

Historically, the Ainu experienced restrictions on land use, livelihoods, language, and cultural practices under government policies, as well as discrimination, which placed their culture at risk. Despite this, Ainu communities continued cultural transmission. In Shiraoi, a privately operated Ainu Museum was active for more than 30 years until its closure in March 2018 during the construction of Upopoy; its approach and aims are carried on by the National Ainu Museum.

The museum presents Ainu culture from the Ainu perspective through permanent and special exhibitions. The Permanent Exhibition Hall covers Ainu language, culture, history, and interactions with other peoples, spanning approximately 30,000 years to the present. The Special Exhibition Hall hosts temporary exhibitions on Ainu culture and other Indigenous cultures worldwide. Additional facilities include a theatre showing short films related to Ainu history and culture and a reference library specialising in Ainu-related materials.

Ainu language is prioritised in museum signage and exhibition texts, with katakana notation used due to the lack of a standardised writing system, and regional dialects are respected. The museum collaborates with Ainu cultural practitioners, universities, research institutions, and museums in Japan and abroad, and provides educational programs that support school curricula.

Through its operations and its stance against discrimination, the National Ainu Museum functions as a place for learning, exchange, and dialogue, contributing to broader understanding of Indigenous cultures within Japan and internationally.

Admission includes entry to the National Ainu Museum and the Upopoy Park.