Exploring the Lands of the Ainu
Asahikawa
Information
The first episode is in Hokkaido’s Asahikawa City surrounded by the natural splendor of Ishikari River and the Daisetsu mountains, home to over 300,000 people as the second largest city in Hokkaido.
In Autumn, Asahikawa welcomes a season of worship with various traditional Ainu tribal ceremonies taking place. This year, an Ainu home called “Cise” is being rebuilt for the first time in 13 years, requiring the gathering of materials, construction and the “Asir Cise Nomi” a sacred traditional ceremony in which life is breathed into the “Cise,” including an ancient dance performed afterward.
The program also features facilities in Asahikawa such as the Kawamura Kaneto Ainu Memorial Museum with over 100 years of history and showcase how “The strong Ainu people are forging the way in a new era, with their own strength,” through how they live in Asahikawa and their rich history.
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