Upopoy (National Ainu Museum and Park) — Attraction in Shiraoi

Beautiful, educational, engaging, accessible, delicious! We were fortunate to visit such a beautiful facility in the middle of lush nature preserve. The recreation of the Ainu kotan (village) and cise (homes) really helped us immerse in the Ainu traditions. This was my first encounter with Ainu culture, and the guides, volunteers, and performers made it a warm, welcoming one. Modern amenities like air conditioning in the July heat made the visit especially comfortable. My 9 year old daughter made a small Ainu wood craft (a coaster carved with traditional patterns), which we cherish as a keepsake. Despite being slightly younger than the admission age, the instructors were patient and helpful, as I helped supervise. There's also a small clearing where they have Ainu toys. All the guests stopped by and had a round of hoop-and-pole. The big surprise for my husband and I were how good the food was. There's a restaurant/cafe near the entrance of the museum which serves Cep Uhaw (salmon soup). This simple soup of fish, root vegetables and clear broth was comforting and refreshing while being hearty. As the kids say, it hits. Easily the best meal we had in Japan this time around. Of course the exhibits and videos were excellent and educational, and the gift shop had some great items that I wished I had stocked up more on! Coming from California, I've seen a few museums on indigenous culture and history, but I've never experienced indigenous culture quite like this. The whole visit was hands-on and accessible. I rate it as the best museum/cultural center...

I went along to their opening day on July 12th. After checking their website and calling their office in advance, I thought I had everything sorted to enter and have an enjoyable day. However, it turned out that I hadn’t “booked” everything that I needed to, which hadn’t previously been highlighted on their website nor did the staff on the phone tell me about when I called only 2 days prior. The staff I encountered on the day were unwilling to assist me with anything more than saying that unfortunately there was nothing they could do. I realize that on opening days there are always wrinkles that need to be ironed out but the staff’s indifference really frustrated me, hence my 1 star rating. There needs to be work done on there websites. If bookings are required on two separate websites, links between the two are necessary. Currently the website I needed to “book” my time restricted entrance couldn’t be found by any search other than know the actually url address. Furthermore, more information needs to be available before entering and paying. I had already paid and entered the area before I was told I couldn’t actually enter the...

The iyomante performance was beautiful. I wish I could join and dance with them! The exhibition of various musical instruments by Minamina san was also inspiring. It was also nice to see and meet Shihoko san, the living legend in real life and she was such a lovely person! You’ll find all the other employees also friendly and greeting in the Ainu language. The museum has a lot to show their art and craftsmanship. It was heartbreaking to re-educate myself at the section E on how the Ainu people were exploited and eventually killed by the Matsumae and the imperial Japan. Before arrival I thought 1-2 hours should be enough and at the end of the day I ended up spending 4 hours and a half. But it was not enough and I will return someday. Because most of their lives and activities start on time and they don’t allow late participation (for example, the Ainu language lesson starts at 2 p.m. sharp and I was unable to join as I was late for 5 mins). Lastly I wish nothing but all the future prosperity and happy holidays to the Ainu people and all the people who are supporting and working on their...