Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park

Getting There - Take a shinkansen to Shiraoi Station in southern Hokkaido. The Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park is just about 5 mins walk from the station. Attractions - This open air cultural museum showcases a replicated Ainu village, exhibits, and performances, including traditional music and dance. It also offers traditional culinary, dance, music, and crafts-making workshops. Hotels - Many types of accommodations are available in Shiraoi. Haku Hostel where I stayed is about 10 mins walk from the Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park. This hostel is super trendy, clean, and comfortable place with friendly staff. It is also a great value for money. Food & Restaurants - Local restaurants and eateries offer some of the best meals you can find in Japan. Shopping - The museum gift shop has a good variety of products, some of which are made by Ainu people. Other local stores also offer Ainu people’s products, featuring traditional patterns, fabrics, and tapestries. #nationalpark #summervacation #bucketlistreboot

Hokkaido has a new travel landmark! UPOPOY (Symbolic Space for Ethnic Harmony) Although it was established in 2020, perhaps not many foreigners know about it yet~ Winter has arrived, hurry up and join me to check in at Hokkaido in person! Have you ever heard of the Ainu people? This is an ancient and mysterious indigenous people who have been recorded since ancient times and live in the northern part of the Japanese archipelago. They have a language system completely different from Japanese, special totems, and a spiritual civilization that believes in the spirituality of all things. In the long river of history, these ancient and precious things are gradually disappearing. In order to inherit and revive the Ayi Nu culture, there is such a national-level center facility. Going to UPOPOY is very convenient, it only takes 40 minutes by car or express train from New Chitose Airport. The park includes locations such as the National Ayi Nu Ethnic Museum and the National Ethnic Coexistence Park. You can learn and experience the history, culture, and language of the Ainu while enjoying the natural scenery. Small guide: When visiting a museum, you can download the museum's app in advance, which provides Chinese text and audio introductions for better understanding. After finishing the exhibition, go down to the first floor where there is a souvenir shop selling many traditional totemic items of the Ainu people. I found a handmade embroidered hair clip, which is said to have various meanings in the patterns. It's definitely a strong hair clip! Ainu traditional art performance is also worth watching. Before the show, staff will distribute translators and with headphones, there will be Chinese explanations, so don't worry about not understanding.~ On the stage, everyone is wearing traditional costumes with totems, imitating the creatures of nature and starting to dance, such as the crane. Using a bamboo piece called Mukkuri to make the sound of water droplets in the mouth, or imitate the sound of wind and animals, combined with stage design and lighting, the audience feels like they are in nature and it feels incredible. "Ah~ I really want to learn this instrument too!" "Tomorrow we can learn! There's an instrument experience here!" the little girl suddenly told me. Made me so happy, I will report my study achievements to everyone tomorrow! Looking forward to it~ Looking forward to it! Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park

Hokkaido has a new travel landmark! UPOPOY (Symbolic Space for Ethnic Harmony) Although it was established in 2020, perhaps not many foreigners know about it yet~ Winter has arrived, hurry up and join me to check in at Hokkaido in person! Have you ever heard of the Ainu people? This is an ancient and mysterious indigenous people who have been recorded since ancient times and live in the northern part of the Japanese archipelago. They have a language system completely different from Japanese, special totems, and a spiritual civilization that believes in the spirituality of all things. In the long river of history, these ancient and precious things are gradually disappearing. In order to inherit and revive the Ayi Nu culture, there is such a national-level center facility. Going to UPOPOY is very convenient, it only takes 40 minutes by car or express train from New Chitose Airport. The park includes locations such as the National Ayi Nu Ethnic Museum and the National Ethnic Coexistence Park. You can learn and experience the history, culture, and language of the Ainu while enjoying the natural scenery. Small guide: When visiting a museum, you can download the museum's app in advance, which provides Chinese text and audio introductions for better understanding. After finishing the exhibition, go down to the first floor where there is a souvenir shop selling many traditional totemic items of the Ainu people. I found a handmade embroidered hair clip, which is said to have various meanings in the patterns. It's definitely a strong hair clip! Ainu traditional art performance is also worth watching. Before the show, staff will distribute translators and with headphones, there will be Chinese explanations, so don't worry about not understanding.~ On the stage, everyone is wearing traditional costumes with totems, imitating the creatures of nature and starting to dance, such as the crane. Using a bamboo piece called Mukkuri to make the sound of water droplets in the mouth, or imitate the sound of wind and animals, combined with stage design and lighting, the audience feels like they are in nature and it feels incredible. "Ah~ I really want to learn this instrument too!" "Tomorrow we can learn! There's an instrument experience here!" the little girl suddenly told me. Made me so happy, I will report my study achievements to everyone tomorrow! Looking forward to it~ Looking forward to it! Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park

Today is the second day at UPOPOY! I would like to call it "Experience Day". After watching the traditional performance of the Ainu tribe yesterday, I really want to learn their traditional instrument: Mukkuri. Today, I finally learned it! Mukkuri, although made of bamboo, is actually a type of harmonica. Its characteristic is that blowing air makes the thin reed vibrate and produce sound, and then the tone and pitch are changed by adjusting the space in the mouth through inhaling and exhaling. Of course, in the first time learning, one cannot achieve the effect of a master~ Beginner level is about learning how to make the instrument produce sound: fix your left hand and make a "knocking" gesture with your right hand, and you will hear a "duiduidui~" sound. Only after becoming proficient can you move on to practicing advanced techniques with your mouth. Very interesting! Feels like ventriloquism~ I want to perform by the UPOPOY lake too once I master it, haha! I also experienced the traditional embroidery of the Ainu people, with the teacher personally teaching me and embroidering mysterious patterns. In addition, there is also a bow and arrow experience! Shoot arrows on the outdoor site and experience the life of the Ainu people who used to hunt... Of course, to ensure safety, the arrows are not sharp, so you can play with peace of mind! Finally, my friends and I were still in the traditional Ainu thatched house, listening to a "storytelling" around the stove. It is a story and a lyrical song passed down from generation to generation among the Ainu people. Today I had a full experience, and surprisingly I had the illusion of traveling back to the past and living in the village myself! Seems like I'm becoming more and more interested in the culture of this ancient indigenous people~ I really want to learn more about their stories~