The 11th Special Exhibition: Ainu People and Expositions - 150 Years of Experience

About this event

This exhibition introduces the relationship between the Ainu people and expositions spanning approximately 150 years, from the first display of Ainu materials at the Yushima Seido Exposition in 1872 (Meiji 5) to the 2025 (Reiwa 7) Expo Osaka, Kansai. Since the Meiji period, while Ainu exhibits at numerous expositions held inside and outside Japan have been conveyed as a sad history, the nature of expositions themselves has also changed over time as Ainu people began to participate proactively. By focusing on the 'voices' of each individual who had a connection with expositions, and carefully unraveling the joys and sorrows, experiences and memories, as well as the circumstances of the times and the gazes and dynamics containing discrimination and superiority among those involved, this exhibition explores what expositions meant to individuals. The exhibition consists of four chapters, developing from the dawn of Ainu craft exhibits to expositions, the participation of the Ainu people, the era of showcasing Ainu culture, and the future of the Ainu people and expositions.

Venue

National Ainu Museum

2-3-1 Wakakusa-cho, Shiraoi-cho, Shiraoi-gun, Hokkaido 059-0902