National Ainu Museum: 11th Special Exhibition 'Ainu People and Exhibitions — 150 Years of Experience' Starts June 20

1. Exhibition Concept This exhibition introduces how the Ainu people have been involved with exhibitions for approximately 150 years, starting from the first display of Ainu materials at the Yushima Seido Exhibition in 1872 to the 2025 Osaka/Kansai Expo. While Ainu exhibits at numerous domestic and international exhibitions since the Meiji era are often remembered as a painful history, the nature of these exhibitions has evolved over time, with Ainu people increasingly participating of their own agency. This exhibition focuses on the 'voices' of each individual involved, unraveling their joys, sorrows, experiences, and memories. By examining the dynamics and perspectives of the time—including discrimination and feelings of superiority—the exhibition explores what these exhibitions meant to the individuals involved.

2. Exhibition Structure ### Chapter 1: From the Early Days of Ainu Craft Exhibits to World Expos This chapter traces how Ainu crafts, which gained interest as 'exotic products' in Japanese society, were reorganized into the context of Hokkaido's 'development' and industrial promotion in early Meiji era exhibitions. It analyzes the role of exhibitions as a mass medium that spread a view of the Ainu people characterized by the contrast between 'civilization' and 'barbarism.'

### Chapter 2: The Participation of Ainu People Against the backdrop of Japan's colonial expansion, this section addresses the era when Ainu people became subjects of 'human exhibits,' where their daily lives were put on display. This format, originating from European and American practices, stemmed from the perspective of the exhibitors who viewed the Ainu as 'barbaric' or inferior. However, it also portrays the various human relationships that were formed even under such circumstances.

### Chapter 3: An Era of Showcasing Ainu Culture Starting with regional exhibitions during the post-war reconstruction, this chapter covers the 1970 Osaka Expo and subsequent international expositions. As the nature of world expos changed globally, Ainu people's engagement with their own culture and their mode of participation became more proactive. It depicts how Ainu people from different regions met, interacted, and incorporated each other's dances, leading to a movement for cultural reclamation.

### Chapter 4: The Future of the Ainu and Exhibitions Focusing on the 2025 Osaka/Kansai Expo's Ainu dance performance 'Urespa Mosir' and the exhibition 'Irankarapte,' this chapter considers what modern cultural performance spaces bring to participants. It portrays the accumulation of individual daily efforts and the future they create through cultural revival and human connection.

3. Related Events - Gallery Talks (Approximately 30 minutes from 13:30) - June 20 (Sat): Junko Uchida (Deputy Director, National Museum of Japanese History) 'From the Early Days of Ainu Craft Exhibits to World Expos' - July 11 (Sat): Yoshihiko Sekiguchi (National Ainu Museum)