[2025 Shiraoi Attraction] Travel Guide for Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park (Updated May)

Getting There - Take a shinkansen to Shiraoi Station in southern Hokkaido. The Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park is just about 5 mins walk from the station. Attractions - This open air cultural museum showcases a replicated Ainu village, exhibits, and performances, including traditional music and dance. It also offers traditional culinary, dance, music, and crafts-making workshops. Hotels - Many types of accommodations are available in Shiraoi. Haku Hostel where I stayed is about 10 mins walk from the Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park. This hostel is super trendy, clean, and comfortable place with friendly staff. It is also a great value for money. Food & Restaurants - Local restaurants and eateries offer some of the best meals you can find in Japan. Shopping - The museum gift shop has a good variety of products, some of which are made by Ainu people. Other local stores also offer Ainu people’s products, featuring traditional patterns, fabrics, and tapestries. #nationalpark #summervacation #bucketlistreboot

#0yentravel At Upopoy Symbolic Space for Ethnic Coexistence, I was able to experience Ainu culture and history in depth. The museum carefully introduced their lifestyle, language, and beliefs, and I was particularly impressed by the sound of the mukkuri and the ancient dance. Outside, a traditional house called a cise was reproduced, and I was able to experience the way of life of people who have lived in harmony with nature. Every exhibit and experience seemed to speak to me quietly, and I felt the depth of the culture. During my trip to Hokkaido, the time I spent here was very memorable.

📍Upopoy Symbolic Space for Ethnic Coexistence If you have seen the Golden Mukai, you will definitely have fun! Of course, even if you have not seen it, it is fun to learn about Ainu history and culture! 【INFORMATION】 Upopoy Symbolic Space for Ethnic Coexistence 📮059-0902 2-3 Wakakusa-cho, Shiraoi-cho, Shiraoi-gun, Hokkaido 🕑9:00-18:00 🚗Free parking available 💰 #Spring 0 yen trip

| Hokkaido's Hidden Cultural Gem. In Shiraoi Town, located in the southwestern part of Hokkaido, there is a time capsule-like museum called the Shiraoi Ainu Museum, which quietly tells the ancient and mysterious stories of the Ainu people. Stepping into the museum is like traveling through time and space, entering the long history of the Ainu people. Every exhibit in the museum is a sediment of time, telling the past of this ethnic group in a silent language. From the early dwellings to the exquisite wooden knife sheaths to the costumes displaying traditional Ainu patterns, all of them showcase the unique artistic creativity and profound cultural heritage of the Ainu people. The museum's permanent exhibition is like a grand historical painting, covering multiple themes such as the language, worldview, life, history, livelihood, and communication of the Ainu people. Here, you can learn about the unique language system of the Ainu language, feel their reverence for the spirits of all things in nature, explore their traditional survival methods of hunting, fishing, and gathering, and trace their historical trajectory of interaction and communication with other ethnic groups. In addition to static exhibits, the museum also offers various lively performances and experiential activities, allowing visitors to personally experience the charm of Ainu culture. The ancient Ainu dance, with its rhythmic steps and unique music, seems to transport people to an ancient Ainu village, where they can see the joyful scenes of celebrations or ceremonies. You can also try playing traditional Ainu musical instruments, such as the bamboo mouth harp "mukkuri" and the five-stringed harp "tonkori," and feel the unique melody flowing through your fingertips. Outside the museum, the National Ainu Museum and Park is an outdoor display of Ainu culture. The Ainu traditional village "kotan" in the park is scattered with traditional Ainu houses "cise," allowing people to get a close look at the Ainu way of life. Sitting by the fireplace, listening to the Ainu storyteller narrate ancient legends in the Ainu language, feeling the dramatic tension contained in the ups and downs of the tone, it is as if you are in a world full of mystery.

A nice visit to Upopoy at the beginning of November. To commemorate the Culture Day in Japan the entrance was free and there were many events. The park is near Shiraoi JE station in Hokkaido in a small Japanese town but the nature is breathtaking. The territory is big and has several buildings, including traditional Ainu houses. There are also cafes and shops before the entrance with local cuisine. The museum is not small but not big and features a lot of history and culture of the Ainu people. They provide a lecture on the history of Ainu in a cinema-like hall. Everyone was given a receiver to choose audio translation in their language (English, Chinese, Russian, Thai, Korean, if I remember correctly). The lecture about Ainu language was very interesting and we even got to try on アミップ - traditional Ainu clothing. The staff was so friendly and excited to share their culture. If you get the chance to visit, I highly recommend.

Upopoy is an outdoor cultural museum that recreates an Ainu village. You can enjoy exhibits and traditional folk dances, and it is a place where you can experience the diverse charms of Ainu culture on the shores of Lake Poroto✨ The grounds were larger than I expected, and it was very natural and beautiful👍️ It was my first time seeing folk dance, so I was moved!! Also, the screening of the short animation was very impressive and the visuals were very detailed, and it was quite interesting!! [Name] Upopoy Symbolic Space for Ethnic Coexistence [Address] 2-3 Wakakusa-cho, Shiraoi-cho, Shiraoi-gun, Hokkaido 059-0902 [Opening hours] Please check the website as it changes depending on the season. #0 yen travel autumn #Hokkaido trip #Shiraoi sightseeing #Domestic travel

Located in Shiraoi, Hokkaido, Upopoy is the first and northernmost national museum in Japan that focuses on the history and culture of the indigenous Ainu people. In addition to the usual museum, the large grounds include a plaza with a restaurant, a workshop, and several buildings where you can experience things. The experience learning center offers experiences such as playing musical instruments and cooking, as well as a bow and arrow experience and a cute monitor where you can study the Ainu language. [Upopoy Symbolic Space for Ethnic Coexistence] 📍Address: 2-3 Wakakusa-cho, Shiraoi-cho, Shiraoi-gun, Hokkaido 059-0902 #Experience2024#HokkaidoTrip #HokkaidoTourism

Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park in Hokkaido is a national center for the revival and creation of Ainu culture🫧 It takes about 60 minutes by car from New Chitose Airport, and the parking fee was 500 yen per visit🚘 The mascot character is 'Tureppon,' inspired by the famous Hokkaido plant, the giant lily🤍 The welcome at the entrance and the merchandise at the shop were very cute🥰 The facility is spacious with many highlights✨ 〒059-0902 Wakakusa-cho 2-chome 3, Shiraoi-cho, Shiraoi-gun, Hokkaido 9:00-20:00 Closed on Mondays🎌 💰Price per person: 1,200 yen

This restaurant is located in Upopoy. The interior is warm and stylish, as wood is used abundantly. We had lunch there. Everything was delicious. The dishes were cute. As it is a bonfire dining restaurant, everything had a simple taste. The soup was served first, and this also had an "Ainu" taste. I recommend this restaurant. The restaurant is run by Furukawa, a high-class hotel in Hokkaido, so the restaurant is also high-class. The interior has a high-class and stylish atmosphere. It was a relatively quiet place. #0yentravel #Shiraoi #Upopoy #Ainu

#Sightseeing Access: About 10 minutes on foot from Shiraoi Station Dining & Restaurants: There are restaurants and cafes in front of the gate. Shopping: There is one souvenir shop in front of the gate and one inside the gate.

Hokkaido has a new travel landmark! UPOPOY (Symbolic Space for Ethnic Harmony) Although it was established in 2020, perhaps not many foreigners know about it yet~ Winter has arrived, hurry up and join me to check in at Hokkaido in person! Have you ever heard of the Ainu people? This is an ancient and mysterious indigenous people who have been recorded since ancient times and live in the northern part of the Japanese archipelago. They have a language system completely different from Japanese, special totems, and a spiritual civilization that believes in the spirituality of all things. In the long river of history, these ancient and precious things are gradually disappearing. In order to inherit and revive the Ayi Nu culture, there is such a national-level center facility. Going to UPOPOY is very convenient, it only takes 40 minutes by car or express train from New Chitose Airport. The park includes locations such as the National Ayi Nu Ethnic Museum and the National Ethnic Coexistence Park. You can learn and experience the history, culture, and language of the Ainu while enjoying the natural scenery. Small guide: When visiting a museum, you can download the museum's app in advance, which provides Chinese text and audio introductions for better understanding. After finishing the exhibition, go down to the first floor where there is a souvenir shop selling many traditional totemic items of the Ainu people. I found a handmade embroidered hair clip, which is said to have various meanings in the patterns. It's definitely a strong hair clip! Ainu traditional art performance is also worth watching. Before the show, staff will distribute translators and with headphones, there will be Chinese explanations, so don't worry about not understanding.~ On the stage, everyone is wearing traditional costumes with totems, imitating the creatures of nature and starting to dance, such as the crane. Using a bamboo piece called Mukkuri to make the sound of water droplets in the mouth, or imitate the sound of wind and animals, combined with stage design and lighting, the audience feels like they are in nature and it feels incredible. "Ah~ I really want to learn this instrument too!" "Tomorrow we can learn! There's an instrument experience here!" the little girl suddenly told me. Made me so happy, I will report my study achievements to everyone tomorrow! Looking forward to it~ Looking forward to it! Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park

Hokkaido has a new travel landmark! UPOPOY (Symbolic Space for Ethnic Harmony) Although it was established in 2020, perhaps not many foreigners know about it yet~ Winter has arrived, hurry up and join me to check in at Hokkaido in person! Have you ever heard of the Ainu people? This is an ancient and mysterious indigenous people who have been recorded since ancient times and live in the northern part of the Japanese archipelago. They have a language system completely different from Japanese, special totems, and a spiritual civilization that believes in the spirituality of all things. In the long river of history, these ancient and precious things are gradually disappearing. In order to inherit and revive the Ayi Nu culture, there is such a national-level center facility. Going to UPOPOY is very convenient, it only takes 40 minutes by car or express train from New Chitose Airport. The park includes locations such as the National Ayi Nu Ethnic Museum and the National Ethnic Coexistence Park. You can learn and experience the history, culture, and language of the Ainu while enjoying the natural scenery. Small guide: When visiting a museum, you can download the museum's app in advance, which provides Chinese text and audio introductions for better understanding. After finishing the exhibition, go down to the first floor where there is a souvenir shop selling many traditional totemic items of the Ainu people. I found a handmade embroidered hair clip, which is said to have various meanings in the patterns. It's definitely a strong hair clip! Ainu traditional art performance is also worth watching. Before the show, staff will distribute translators and with headphones, there will be Chinese explanations, so don't worry about not understanding.~ On the stage, everyone is wearing traditional costumes with totems, imitating the creatures of nature and starting to dance, such as the crane. Using a bamboo piece called Mukkuri to make the sound of water droplets in the mouth, or imitate the sound of wind and animals, combined with stage design and lighting, the audience feels like they are in nature and it feels incredible. "Ah~ I really want to learn this instrument too!" "Tomorrow we can learn! There's an instrument experience here!" the little girl suddenly told me. Made me so happy, I will report my study achievements to everyone tomorrow! Looking forward to it~ Looking forward to it! Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park

Today is the second day at UPOPOY! I would like to call it "Experience Day". After watching the traditional performance of the Ainu tribe yesterday, I really want to learn their traditional instrument: Mukkuri. Today, I finally learned it! Mukkuri, although made of bamboo, is actually a type of harmonica. Its characteristic is that blowing air makes the thin reed vibrate and produce sound, and then the tone and pitch are changed by adjusting the space in the mouth through inhaling and exhaling. Of course, in the first time learning, one cannot achieve the effect of a master~ Beginner level is about learning how to make the instrument produce sound: fix your left hand and make a "knocking" gesture with your right hand, and you will hear a "duiduidui~" sound. Only after becoming proficient can you move on to practicing advanced techniques with your mouth. Very interesting! Feels like ventriloquism~ I want to perform by the UPOPOY lake too once I master it, haha! I also experienced the traditional embroidery of the Ainu people, with the teacher personally teaching me and embroidering mysterious patterns. In addition, there is also a bow and arrow experience! Shoot arrows on the outdoor site and experience the life of the Ainu people who used to hunt... Of course, to ensure safety, the arrows are not sharp, so you can play with peace of mind! Finally, my friends and I were still in the traditional Ainu thatched house, listening to a "storytelling" around the stove. It is a story and a lyrical song passed down from generation to generation among the Ainu people. Today I had a full experience, and surprisingly I had the illusion of traveling back to the past and living in the village myself! Seems like I'm becoming more and more interested in the culture of this ancient indigenous people~ I really want to learn more about their stories~

The trip to Upopoy Museum was sponsored by HOKKAIDO International Cooperation Center and was attended by 21 members from 16 countries. How to get there - bus Highlights - Ainu museum #hokkaido #hieec