AINU STORIES contemporary lives by the Saru river ～ 21 April 2024, Free entry
The Ainu are an ethnic group of related indigenous peoples native to northern Japan including Hokkaido and Northeast Honshu, as well as the land surrounding the Sea of Okhotsk, such as Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, the Kamchatka Peninsula, and the Khabarovsk Krai; they have occupied these areas known to them as “Ainu Mosir” (Ainu: アイヌモシㇼ, lit. ‘the land of the Ainu’), since before the arrival of the modern Japanese and Russians. These regions are often referred to as Ezo (蝦夷) in historical Japanese texts.
Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ainu_people
I recommend this exhibition if you are interested in beautiful nature, living in the rich nature, traditional culture and art, folk crafts, different life and culture from yours, or free exhibition. Japan House London has a cafe where you can try Japanese tea, tea-latte, and Japanese-style sweets. Their shop sells various Japanese products and staff is friendly. You cannot enter the exhibition with a big bag, but they keep your bag free of charge.
This exhibition is instructive and their art is very beautiful. Actual objects and video interviews help us understand. I enjoy learning many things there, even I’ve been to Hokkaido and I saw some exhibitions about Ainu at museum in Hokkaido. I also have read a book about Ainu and watched popular anime series “Golden Kamuy”. This anime is based on a manga in which Ainu people appear. “Golden Kamuy” books and illustrations are displayed at this exhibition.
イギリスにはたくさん無料で入れる美術館，博物館，展示会があって大変ありがたいです。この展示は，たまたまお会いした「大和日英基金」で働く方に教えてもらいました。「大和日英基金」は，日英両国の学生、学者に交流の機会を与える等の活動をしているそうです。
日本人でも知らないことが多いと思われるアイヌの歴史，暮らし，文化，アイヌ語などを学べる展示でした。「へぇ！」と何度も言いながらゆっくり見て回って，１時間半くらいでした。「トナカイ」や「ラッコ」の語源がアイヌ語というのはクラスの子どもにクイズで出してみたいです。
最後までお読みいただき，ありがとうございました=^_^=
