About 80 species of flora and fauna in the "Corridor of Izanai

Hoshino Resorts KAI Poroto is adjacent to Upopoi, a field museum where visitors can experience Ainu culture. The museum area and park area are spread out in a rich natural setting on the southern shore of Lake Poroto, and the site is about two times the size of Tokyo Dome. Upopoi means "to sing (in large groups)" in Ainu language.

Visitors are greeted at the "Corridor of Izanai" leading to the entrance with shadow puppets of animals and plants that can be found in Hokkaido and the music of the mukkuri, a traditional instrument of the Ainu tribe. There are about 80 species of animals, including foxes, Ezo sika deer, red-crowned cranes, and brown bears. This approach reminds us of the Ainu people who have lived together with nature.

After getting the ticket reserved in advance, go to the gate. The National Museum of the Ainu People stands in front of the gate, and its logo on the wall is based on the "tripod (ketunni) structure" found in traditional Ainu houses (chise). The museum boasts a collection of approximately 10,000 items, and exhibits are changed about once every two months.

To the left is the Experience Exchange Hall (Uekari Chise = a house where people gather) and the Experience Learning Center (Yaihanokkara Chise = a house where you learn by yourself), and behind the museum are the workshops (Ikara Ushi = a place to make things) and traditional kotans (Teeta Kane An Kotan = old villages) scattered along the lake. Pamphlets and guides are written in Ainu, and the more you learn about them, the more interested you will become.

So, where to start?

What is the standard course for a three-hour stay?

Mr. Ryota Hayama, the public relations manager of Upopoi, gave us the standard three-hour to half-day tour of the area. Three hours may seem a bit rushed.

The theme of Upopoi is to "experience Ainu culture with all five senses. For example, if you are interested in (Ainu) food, try the Dining Area, if you like experiences, go for the full experience, and if you want to learn about history and culture, visit the museum," says Hayama. Upopoi is also a park, so many visitors spend time relaxing in the plaza," he advises.

Let's take a look around!

First, go to the Experience Exchange Hall. The key is to find out the performance time of the traditional performance and get a ticket (free of charge, included in the admission fee) for the desired time ahead of time. Once you know the time, you can smoothly visit the museum or have a meal before or after the performance. This time, we started our visit with the "Traditional Performing Arts Performance, Shinot - Ainu Song, Dance and Storytelling" (20 minutes) in the Experience Exchange Hall.

The performers are all Upopoi employees and Ainu cultural traditions. The world of the Ainu people is expressed through a production that incorporates the latest video technology and beautiful images of Hokkaido. The person in charge of Butoh gave the following message to our readers.

It is said that the traditional performing arts of the Ainu people were performed by people who gathered for ceremonies and festivals to enjoy themselves together with the Kamuy (gods, i.e., everything that surrounds human beings). They also sometimes improvise changes to what has been handed down, such as verses and movements, depending on their feelings at the time. This shows the diversity of Ainu culture."

Ainu and Kamui, Six Themed Exhibits

Next is the National Museum of the Ainu People. The first floor houses a theater, library, and museum store, while the second floor is a panoramic lobby overlooking Lake Poroto and exhibition rooms.

The exhibition rooms are presented in six major themes. Itaku (Our Language), Inomi (Our World), Ulesipa (Our Life), Upasikuma (Our History), Nepuki (Our Work), and Ukoapkasi (Our Exchange). There is no sequential tour, but the intention is that visitors are free to start with what interests them.

In the "Inomi (Our World)" section, an animation explains the mutually beneficial relationship between "Ainu (humans) and Kamui (gods = everything that surrounds humans)" in an easy-to-understand manner. Through exhibits of ritual implements (ikupasui, inau, etc.), the exhibition introduces the Ainu people's worldview, which is central to the Kamui way of thinking, their view of nature, and their view of life and death.

The "Ulesipa (Our Lives)" section focuses on clothing, food, and housing. The Ainu people's cotton garments, with their strikingly unique patterns, show that there are differences in patterns, colors, and production methods depending on the region. Also on display are the tamasai, a ball ornament worn around the neck, and the shitoki, a decorative board worn by women in formal ceremonial dress.

Ms. Hayama explains, "There are many different dialects of the Ainu language. This is the reason why each region has its own characteristics and lifestyles, which leads to a sense of diversity," says Hayama.

Reproduction of an Ainu house from the Shiraoi region

Now we will go to the "Traditional Kotan". A kotan is a village. The houses (chise) of the Ainu people in the Shiraoi region have been recreated, and the songs, dances, and stories of the Ainu people passed down in their daily lives are performed in the hearth room. If you have time, be sure to visit the "Kobo" to see a demonstration of folk crafts and experience wood carving and embroidery.

Recommended restaurants include "Cafe Limse" for a casual taste of Ainu cuisine, the "Hinna Hinna Kitchen Flame" food court, and "Haruranna" which boasts course meals. Please enjoy the traditional cuisine devised to survive the cold and harsh Hokkaido winters.

By the way, the photo is an Upopoi souvenir I bought at the museum store.

Upopoi deepens your journey to "Hoshino Resorts KAI Poroto".

How was your tour of Upopoi?

Experiencing Upopoi will deepen your stay at Hoshino Resorts KAI Poroto. For example, the symbolic pointy bathhouse has a "tripod (ketunni) structure," and Guest rooms are inspired by the square furnace at the center of a traditional chise.

We asked Mr. Shinji Fujino, Staff/staff member of Hoshino Resorts KAI Poroto, who has already visited the hotel dozens of times with an annual passport to Upopoi, about the charms of the hotel. The more you learn about Ainu culture, the more you learn the importance of "feeling with all five senses. It is not a matter of reason, but of feeling. At the same time, you realize that there are rational reasons for the way of thinking to live in the harsh natural environment. An inheritor of the Ainu culture also taught me that "knowing is more important than understanding. I hope you will experience it at Upopoi.

We invite you to visit Upopoi during your stay in Hoshino Resorts KAI Poroto. Stay for 3 hours, half a day, or as many times as you like!　Staff/staff members recommend the best time to visit Upopoi is at sunset, when the park is open until 20:00 on weekends and holidays until the end of October.

Finally, I would like to share with you some words that particularly moved me. The "Symbolic Space for the Symbiosis of Peoples" is "uainukoro kotan" in Ainu language, which means "a village where people respect each other. Diversity and mutual respect" is taught in Upopoi. I felt that by knowing the correct meaning of the word, interest in and respect for the other is born.