National Ainu Museum to Host Symposium in September Commemorating 330th Anniversary of Korean Castaways

The National Ainu Museum (Shiraoi, Hokkaido; Director Masahiro Nomoto) will host the 'Symposium Commemorating the 330th Anniversary of Korean Castaways: Encounters between the Ainu and Korea across the Northern Sea' on Sunday, September 13, 2026.

Marking 330 years since the 1696 incident in which Yi Ji-heng and other Koreans were cast ashore, this symposium will examine the event from diverse perspectives, including Japan-Korea relations, Hokkaido's regional society, Ainu trade, and cultural exchange. It will serve as an opportunity for researchers in related fields to share insights and deepen mutual discussion.

Symposium Commemorating the 330th Anniversary of Korean Castaways: Encounters between the Ainu and Korea across the Northern Sea

Date and Time: Sunday, September 13, 2026, 10:00–17:00 (Doors open at 9:30)

Venue: Exchange Room, National Ainu Museum (2-3-1 Wakamatsu-cho, Shiraoi-cho, Shiraoi-gun, Hokkaido)

Capacity: 100 participants (on-site registration, first-come, first-served)

Admission: Free (separate admission fee for Upopoy required)

Language: Japanese (materials provided in both Japanese and Korean)

Organizer: National Ainu Museum

Co-sponsor: Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Sapporo

* This project is supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 25K04414.

Program Details

* Lectures: 50-minute presentation + 10-minute Q&A; Reports: 25-minute presentation + 5-minute Q&A

【Part 1】Japan-Korea Relations and Castaways

Time

Program

Speaker

Presentation Title

10:00–10:10

Opening Remarks

10:10–11:10

Keynote Lecture

Toshihiko Ikeuchi

Professor Emeritus, Nagoya University

Early Modern Japan-Korea Relations through the Lens of Shipwrecks and Castaways

11:10–11:40

Report ①

Woo-Bong Ha

Professor Emeritus, Jeonbuk National University

Korean Castaways’ Perception of Japan: Focusing on Yi Ji-heng’s P'yoju nok (Record of a Drifting Voyage)

11:40–13:00

Lunch Break

【Part 2】Exchanges in Hokkaido

13:00–13:30

Report ②

Won-Ji Shin

Researcher, National Ainu Museum

Matsumae Domain Records on the Korean Castaway Incident

13:30–14:00

Report ③

Fumito Tanizaki

Deputy Director, Department of Education, Town of Rishiri-Fujimi

Place Names and Landscapes of Rishiri and Rebun as Seen in Castaway Records

14:00–14:30

Report ④

Eiji Nishitani

Former Curator, Rishiri Town Museum

'Objects' from Ezo (Hokkaido) Described in Yi Ji-heng’s 'P'yoju nok'

14:30–14:50

Break

14:50–15:20

Report ⑤

Isao Tomi

Professor, General Humanities, Hakodate National College of Technology

Poetic Exchanges between Korean Official Yi Ji-heng and Monk Sechijun of Aun-ji Temple, Matsumae

15:20–15:50

Report ⑥

Kazuyuki Nakamura

Professor, Faculty of Commerce, Hakodate University

The Ainu People of Northern Hokkaido as Seen by Yi Ji-heng

15:50–16:10

Break

16:10–16:50

Panel Discussion

History and Culture Connected by the Northern Sea

16:50–17:00

Closing Remarks

For more details about the symposium, visit the official website.

Image materials for press use are available for download.

When using the images, please credit as follows:

Image courtesy of: National Ainu Museum

* The National Ainu Museum is located within the Symbolic Space for Ethnic Harmony (nicknamed 'Upopoy').