Ainu Craft School Passes On Culture to Students

Kushiro, Hokkaido, March 24 (Jiji Press)–Students in the inaugural class of an Ainu craft school in Hokkaido, northernmost Japan, are set to graduate soon, after completing their training to acquire skills of the indigenous ethnic group. At Akan Ainu Craft Center Harikiki, which opened in May 2024 on the banks of Lake Akan in the city of Kushiro, local craftspeople work to foster their successors, teaching traditional techniques, such as on wood carving and embroidering, to students, including young people, who come from Hokkaido and other parts of the country. Harikiki means “hardworking” in the Ainu language. A total of eight people–four in the inaugural class, who joined the school in 2024, and four in the second class, who enrolled in 2025–are now studying five days a week. Graduating at the end of this month are the four people in the inaugural class–two from Hokkaido, one from the central prefecture of Gifu and one from Mie Prefecture, also central Japan. Students at the facility spend two years learning how to make the mukkuri mouth harp and the makiri small knife as well as embroidery skills. They also study the Ainu language and history, with the aim of passing on the culture. Akinosuke Owada, 24, one of the inaugural students, is working to craft a wooden sword engraved with Ainu patterns ahead of his upcoming graduation. His grandfather makes carved wooden accessories and runs a shop in the “kotan” Ainu settlement near Lake Akan, which features various craft stores. “I want to create items that can compare with those made by craftspeople in the Akan area,” Owada said. Owada said he initially did not have a strong interest in Ainu culture although he is of Ainu descent. He decided to enroll in the school, however, because he does not want to see his grandfather’s shop disappear in the future. Owada’s sentiments reflect his concern about the aging of craftspeople in the Akan area. According to the Kushiro city government, most of the artisans are in their 60s or older, while the youngest are in their 40s. Preserving traditional craft skills is becoming a challenge as many young people leave the local community for education or employment. “We are looking to increase the number of professionals who will settle in the Akan area to become craft shop operators,” a city official said of the aim of Akan Ainu Craft Center Harikiki. The city provides monthly incentives of about 200,000 yen to each student, and lessons include those on shop management and financing. “When I was taught how to carve wood, my teacher often told me, ‘I also learned this from my mentor,'” Owada said. Owada said that he will train himself further at his grandfather’s shop after graduation, aiming to take over the shop in the future. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]