Ainu Museum

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Short clip of their traditional dance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkaO85KhwSQ

After having toured the heart of Sapporo, I was eager to explore the extremities the city. With the directions given by my hostel manager I hopped on the 7:48AM JR at Sapporo Station and arrived to Shiraoi by 10AM to visit the Ainu Museum. Shiraoi is a very dainty and quiet city. The Ainu village is about 15-20 minute walk from the Shiraoi Station.

The Ainu Museum, รฃโ€šยครฃฦ’ล’รฆยฐโ€˜รฆโ€”รฅลกรงโ€ฐยฉรฉยคยจ, is the home of the indigenous inhabitants of Northern Japan. It is located beside the shore of Lake Poroto, which was covered by an outstretching blanket of white powdery snow when I was there. The entrance fee was about 750 Yen. 

Ainu means the humans who resides in the large island of Hokkaido.  ~ BYH

The Ainu settlement was moved to the shores of Lake Poroto in 1965 where it forms an outdoor museum to preserve  and its Ainu’s cultural assets. 

The six Porotokotan houses displays the wardrobe, living utensils, music and dance culture of the Ainu. Every hour in the beginning of the day, the Ainu folk would demonstrate their traditional dances, songs and harp instruments. Across from the huts beside Lake Poroto is a small botanical garden of many plants that the Ainu use for recreation, food and medicine. There were also lines of dried fish hung up against the walls of the hut.

This park is fairly small and can fit into your schedule for about an hour tour.