November 18, 2011: Ainu Culture Public Seminar "Kiroroan"

Kiroroan means "happy" or "fun" in the Ainu language, and is the title of the Ainu Culture Public Seminar series regularly held by the Tokyo Ainu Culture Center (see previous entry). The next seminar will be held TODAY at 19:00:

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Ainu Culture Public Seminar "Kiroroan"

"Spreading Ainu Culture from Hakodate City, Hokkaido"

Synopsis:

Hakodate, the southern gateway to Hokkaido, is famous for its western-style buildings from the early Meiji era and as the home to one of the “three great night views” of Japan. However, it has until now been considered a location with little connection to the Ainu people. With the establishment of the Hakodate Branch of the Hokkaido Ainu Association in 2010, Mr. Kato has made efforts to spread Ainu culture from Hakodate in various ways.

Date/Time: November 18 (Friday) 19:00-20:30

Venue: Tokyo Ainu Culture Center

(3F Urban Square Yaesu, 2-4-13 Yaesu, Chuo-ku, Tokyo)

Instructor: Takahito Kato (Head of Hakodate Branch, Hokkaido Ainu Association)

Admission: Free (No reservations necessary)

Capacity: 40 people

Organized by: Foundation for the Promotion and Research of Ainu Culture

Link (in Japanese only): http://www.frpac.or.jp/rst/opn/23kai11.html

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November 8, 2011: Special Seminar at Meisei University

The Education Department at Meisei University will be holding a special seminar on Ainu culture open to the public.
 

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"Learning the History and Culture of the Ainu"

-Hapo Unkeray Pase Ikor (A Treasure Received from My Mother)-

Date/Time:

November 8, 2011 (Tuesday)

16:30 - 18:00

Venue:

Meisei University Hino Campus

Building #26, 5th Floor Room 504

Access Information:

http://www.meisei-u.ac.jp/english/meisei/access.html

Seminar Contents:

Ainu language, teachings, oral traditions, songs, mukkur performance and workshop, food culture

Instructor: 

Keiko Kyuno (Ainu cultural advisor)

Born in Urakawa Hokkaido, currently living in Chiba. There was a period when she lived apart from Ainu culture, but approximately 10 years ago, she began to take part in a wide range of Ainu activities, including Ainu language, oral tradition, song, dance, embroidery, cooking, etc., becoming an Ainu cultural advisor. She was awarded first prize at the Ainu Speech Contest. Her mother, Saki Toyama, has a wide range of knowledge and skill in Ainu culture, receiving awards in Ainu Language (2004) and Ainu Culture (2009).

Contact:

Meisei University Education Department Office

TEL 042-596-6734

or

Professor Kayano's Office

TEL 042-591-6657

Download Poster (in Japanese only):

http://www.meisei-u.ac.jp/imsbav00000286lv-att/imsbav00000286pp.pdf

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Articles: TOKYO Ainu and Hokkaido Woman

From the twitter feeds:

 

"Documenting Urban Indigeneity: TOKYO Ainu and the 2011 survey on the living conditions of Ainu outside Hokkaido"

 

by Simon Cotterill at Japan Focus

 

A thorough look at the documentary film TOKYO Ainu and the Ainu community in Tokyo, although the article is not without its errors. In particular, the article refers to Shimokura Emi and Hiroyuki as "an Ainu couple" whereas in actuality Emi is Ainu while Hiroyuki (aka Ague) is not. Perhaps it's not clear in the film either. It may be interesting to discuss how issues of identity are addressed in relationships and families, as it is a complicated and at time problematic issue in the Ainu community (and with other indigenous communities I'm sure), but that is a blog entry for another day... 

 

TOKYO Ainu, of course, is one of the projects that AINU PRIDE PRODUCTIONS is involved in.

"Hokkaido roots spur woman to bring folk tales to masses - Missionary's daughter brings area's hidden Ainu culture, flavors to life in English"

from the Japan Times

An introduction to the work of Deborah Davidson, who translates Ainu folk tales (uepeker) into English.

Happy reading! 

 

November 5 & 6, 2011: OKI & DUB AINU BAND in Taiwan

From OKI DUB AINU BAND's Facebook page - OKI and DUB AINU BAND will be in Taiwan over the weekend. Information is as below, unfortunately further details are only in Chinese...

OKI will be playing at the Heng Chung International Folk Song & Music Festival today, Saturday November 5, 2011.

http://www.cultural.pthg.gov.tw/folkmusic2011/index.asp?au_id=44&sub_id=47&id=17

OKI DUB AINU BAND will be playing at the Riverside Live House in Taipei on Sunday, November 6 starting at 21:00. Tickets are NT$350.

http://www.riverside.com.tw/index.php?option=com_cafe

November 5, 2011: 15th Annual Ainu Speech Contest

Hokkaido University will be hosting the 15^th Annual Ainu Speech Contest, organized by the Foundation for Research and Promotion of Ainu Culture. The contest is one of the efforts to promote the revival of the Ainu language, and calls on all people learning the Ainu language to participate (entries are currently closed, please contact FRPAC or AINU PRIDE PRODUCTIONS if you are interested in entering for next year). The contest features both children and adult divisions, and the adult division is sub-divided into oral traditions (such as uepeker folktales and kamuy yukar epics) and free subjects.

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15^th Annual Ainu Speech Contest

-Itak an ro! Let’s speak Ainu!-

Date & Time:

November 5, 2011 (Saturday)

10:00-17:00

Venue:

Hokkaido University

Gakujutsu Koryu Kaikan Building Lecture Hall

Kita 8, Nishi 5, Kita 8-jo, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido

(*No parking available)

Directions:

*7 minutes on foot from JR Sapporo Station

From the north exit, walk towards Yodobashi Camera.

Go north on Nishi 5 Tarukawa-dori.

On your left after entering Hokkaido University main gate.
http://www.hokudai.ac.jp/en/pickup/accesstocampus.html

Website (in Japanese only):

http://www.frpac.or.jp/evt/benron2311.html

Organized by:

Foundation for Research and Promotion of Ainu Culture

Co-Organized by:

Hokkaido University Ainu Indigenous People Research Center

Supported by:

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Agency for Cultural Affairs, Hokkaido Prefecture, Hokkaido Board of Education, Sapporo City, Sapporo Board of Education, Hokkaido Ainu Association, Hokkaido Shimbun Press, Asahi Shimbun Hokkaido Branch, Yomiuri Shimbun Hokkaido Branch, Mainichi Shimbun Hokkaido Branch, Nihon Keizai Shimbun Hokkaido Branch, NHK Sapporo Broadcast Station, Sapporo Television Broadcasting, Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting, Television Hokkaido

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Ainu and Politics

 The recent announcement by Shiro Kayano (see link below) to establish an Ainu political organization to participate in the 2013 House of Councilors election is an interesting development.

(Article: "Ainu people to set up political group, seek upper house seats in 2013") 

As stated in the article, Shiro Kayano is the son of the late Shigeru Kayano, the first and only Ainu to sit in the Japanese Diet and a major figure in the preservation of Ainu language and culture.

Compared to other indigenous peoples, the Ainu do not have a very significant record of success in entering Japanese politics. Kayano served in the Diet from 1994 to 1998, and his efforts helped spur the passage of the Law for the Promotion of the Ainu Culture and for the Dissemination and Advocacy for the Traditions of the Ainu and the Ainu Culture in 1997. He ran but failed to capture a proportional representation seat in the 1992 Upper House elections under the Japan Socialist Party (now defunct) banner. When a vacancy occurred in 1994, he was awarded the seat as the runner-up. When the JSP split into the Democratic Party of Japan and the Social Democratic Party in 1996, he joined the former, and served out the rest of his term until 1998.

Other than Shigeru Kayano however, no other Ainu politicians have been elected to national office. In 1977, Tokuhei Narita (now Tokuhei Akibe) ran for an Upper House seat under the banner of the “Ainu Political Participation Association,” and later as an independent for the Hokkaido 5^th district in the 1993 Lower House elections. He was unsuccessful in both cases. Kaori Tahara ran for a proportional seat (Hokkaido bloc) in the 2005 Upper House election as deputy head of the Hokkaido-based New Party Daichi (New Party Big Earth). She ran again in the 2007 Upper House election, this time for the Hokkaido prefectural district and with backing from New Party Daichi, DPJ, and the People’s New Party. She too, was unsuccessful in both cases.

Interestingly enough, two Executive Directors of the Hokkaido Ainu Association have served as city/town councilors – Giichi Normura in Shiraoi as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party prior to his tenure as Executive Director and Jiro Sasamura in Obihiro as an independent following his tenure as Executive Director (Jiro Sasamura was pressured to resign as Executive Director following what was seen as an insufficient response to statements that “Japan is a homogenous nation” by LDP politicians including Muneo Suzuki, who would later head New Party Daichi. Sasamura himself would run unsuccessfully for a second term in Obihiro under the New Party Daichi banner. That’s politics for ya!).

It will be interesting to see who Shiro Kayano (currently involved with the World Indigenous Peoples Network AINU) will be fielding as candidates in the election, and whether they will see any success.

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UPDATE: It is also interesting to see some of the reactions to this news on the internet - there are quite a few people speculating whether it is a plot by the CIA/US military or the Russians to break up Japan, or that the zainichi Koreans or Burakumin are behind the effort as a power grab. Is Japan really that adverse to having an indigenous people try to claim its proper rights?

November 3, 2011: Ainu Cultural Festival 2011 in TOKYO

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Ainu Cultural Festival 2011 in TOKYO

Date & Time:

November 3, 2011 (Thursday (National Holiday))

13:00 - 16:00 (OPEN 12:00 / START 13:00)

Venue:

Tokyo International Forum, Hall B7

3-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

FREE ADMISSION

Attendees receive a free mukkuri  (traditional Ainu mouth harp)

Program:

<STAGE> 13:00-16:00

*13:00 - Opening Greetings

*13:20 - Keynote Speech: "Towards the Realization of an Ainu Policy"

by Hideo Akibe, Executive Director of the Akan Ainu Industrial Arts Association

*14:20 - Oral Tradition: "Inunke (Lullaby)" by Taeko Hori

*14:35 - Intermission

*14:45 - Dance Performance by Ankoraci Menokoutar

*15:15 - Music Performance by Ainu Art Project

*16:00 - Closing

<EXHIBITION> 12:00-16:00

*Woodcarving: Shigehiro Takano (FRPAC Certified Artisan)

*Embroidery: Kayoko Nishida (Hokkaido Ainu Association Certified Artisan)

*Exhibition of Ainu Culture Panels and Ainu Crafts

*Distribution of FRPAC materials

More information (in Japanese):

http://www.frpac.or.jp/evt/festival2011.html

Organized by:

Foundation for Research and Promotion of Ainu Culture

Supported by:

Agency for Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Hokkaido Prefecture, Hokkaido Board of Education, Hokkaido Ainu Association

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