Christmas Season

A big Christmas tree at the “Sapporo Factory”, a shopping mall in Sapporo, Hokkaido.
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Suddenly it’s the middle of winter

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Snow flower.
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Ainu Craft Souvenir

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What to buy at an Ainu museum shop or souvenir shop?
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This is “Mukkuri”, a mouth harp and traditional ainu music instrument.
About 500 yen per each.
Those instruments are hand-made, so each makes a slightly different sound.
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Those bracelets are made from the bark of Manchurian elm tree.
Traditional Ainu people’s bark clothes “Attush” are made from
fiber obtained from Manchurian elm.
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Those bracelets, bought at a craft shop next to the Nibutani Ainu culture museum
is 1,05o yen per each.
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A bandana with Ainu traditional patterns.
About 500 yen.
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The house of Dr. Munro

Dr. Munro’s house in Nibutani, Hokkaido.
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Neil Gordon Munro (1863 – 1942), a Scottish physician and anthropologist,
lived in Nibutani, treated people suffering from tuberculosis, and studied Ainu culture.
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A small path with trees leading to the house of Dr. Munro.
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Horses were in the field next to Dr. Munro’s house.
The white building that can be seen behind is the Nibutani Ainu Culture Museum.
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Nibutani Ainu Culture Museum

At the entrance hall of the Nibutani Ainu Culture Museum.
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Ainu is the indigenous people of Japan.

Their traditional clothes are shown here.

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These tapestries show their traditional patterns and designs.
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A canoe made of a single tree.
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This says “Nibutani”, the place name of this area.
The owl is the guardian god of the ainu people.
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Accessories.
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“Iku-pasuy”, ritual implements.
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Reconstructed “Chise”, traditional Ainu houses, in front of the museum.
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The nibutani Ainu Culture museum is in Biratori Town, Hokkaido,
2 hours from Sapporo by car, or 1 hour from Shin-Chitose Airport by car.
This is a good place to learn about Ainu culture and tradition.
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