Upopoy (National Ainu Museum and Park)

Upopoy (National Ainu Museum and Park) is Japan's national center for the history and culture of the Ainu, the Indigenous people of Hokkaido and the northern Japanese archipelago. It stands on the shore of Lake Poroto in Shiraoi, a town on Hokkaido's Pacific coast between Sapporo and Noboribetsu. Adult admission is 1,200 yen.

Upopoy opened on July 12, 2020. It has two parts. The National Ainu Museum is Japan's northernmost national museum and the first devoted to the Ainu. The National Ainu Park is where staff run dance performances, craft demonstrations and hands-on programs every day. The word Ainu comes from aynu, meaning "human being" in the Ainu language.

What to see at Upopoy

National Ainu Museum

The museum is a one-minute walk from the entrance gate. The permanent exhibition on the second floor explores Ainu history and culture from Ainu perspectives. A special exhibition room hosts changing shows, and the first floor has a library, theater and museum shop. Some special exhibitions charge a separate fee.

Cultural Exchange Hall (uekari cise)

This hall stages traditional Ainu dance, which is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan and is on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list. Programs also include music on the mukkuri, a bamboo mouth harp. Check the day's timetable when you arrive, since performance times are fixed.

Kotan (traditional Ainu village)

Reconstructed thatched houses called cise stand about eight minutes' walk from the gate. You can go inside and listen to talks on how Ainu families lived in them.

Crafts Studio and Workshop

At the Crafts Studio (ikar usi), staff demonstrate wood carving and embroidery passed down through generations, and visitors can join craft and music workshops. The Workshop building hosts cooking programs, and its annex has an archery experience with a simplified bow. More than 20 kinds of programs run each day, and some need a reservation or an extra fee.

The park also has a garden of more than 40 tree species used in Ainu life, a restaurant serving Ainu dishes and a shop for Ainu crafts. Upopoy also includes a memorial site.

Upopoy tickets

• Adults: 1,200 yen (1,000 yen if bought online in advance)

• High school students: 600 yen (400 yen online)

• Age 15 and under: free

• Entry from 2:00 p.m.: 600 yen for adults and 300 yen for high school students

• Groups of 10 or more: 960 yen for adults

Tickets are sold at the entrance center on the day or online for a set date. Upopoy's ticket page lists the current prices and which programs need booking. Allow at least half a day to see the museum and two or three programs.

How to get to Upopoy

Upopoy is about a 10-minute walk (500 meters) from the North Exit of JR Shiraoi Station. Travel time is about one hour from Sapporo and 40 minutes from New Chitose Airport. Limited Express Hokuto and Suzuran trains stop at Shiraoi, though some services pass through, so check the timetable before you board. A shuttle bus also runs from the station.

By car, follow the signs from Route 36. Parking costs 500 yen per visit, and you can park again free on the same day.

Shiraoi fits easily between Sapporo and the hot springs of Noboribetsu, and our Noboribetsu guide covers the next stop along the coast.

Day 11 of our Hokkaido culture trip itinerary is built around Ainu culture and seafood in Shiraoi.

In eastern Hokkaido, Akan's Ainu Kotan village is another place to see Ainu crafts and culture.

Closer to Sapporo, a guided Ainu culture day with Jozankei pairs Ainu history with the hot spring valley.