[Upopoy] Shiraoi Town, Hokkaido | Experience the charm of art and crafts at the “Ainu Art Show 2025”
Ainu Cultural Foundation Press Release: September 19, 2025 [Upopoy] Shiraoi Town, Hokkaido | Experience the charm of crafts and art at the “Ainu Art Show 2025” Two days bringing together a diverse range of creators. Works exhibited at the Osaka-Kansai Expo will also be exhibited in Hokkaido for the first time. Upopoy (Symbolic Space for Ethnic Coexistence, hereafter referred to as “Upopoy”), operated by the Ainu Cultural Foundation (Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Chairman: Teruki Tsunemoto), a public interest incorporated foundation, will hold the “Ainu Art Show 2025” for two days, October 12th (Sun) and 13th (Mon, national holiday), 2025, as a forum for expression and interaction among artists and craftspeople active in various regions. Now in its fourth year, the event will feature an “Exhibition and Sales by Artists and Craftspeople” with 16 exhibitors, as well as the first Hokkaido exhibit of large-scale works by Kohei Fujito, which were exhibited at the Osaka-Kansai Expo. It will also feature experiences in performing arts and food culture. Through direct interaction with artists and craftspeople, you can experience the fascinating diversity of their expressions. Image
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performances, food culture, and experiences through the five senses We will hold performances with commentary and food culture experiences to help you enjoy traditional performing arts performances even more. You can experience the creative period of Ainu culture through your five senses: sight, hearing, and taste.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Tu52-qh5u4 ▲2024 Event Event Overview Title: “Ainu Art Show 2025” Date: October 12th (Sun) and 13th (Mon, National Holiday), 2025 Business Hours: 9:00 – 18:00 Location: Upopoy (2-3 Wakakusa-cho, Shiraoi-cho, Shiraoi-gun, Hokkaido) Program We will be hosting a variety of programs by creators who preserve and express Ainu culture. Exhibition and sale by artists and craftspeople Image
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/122187/63/122187-63-d179a826aabccb120c757e9ef91fa8d1-1536×979.png ▲2024 Event Crafts by artists and craftspeople active around the region will be exhibited and sold. Experience the charm of handcrafted items while speaking directly with 16 exhibitors. Date: October 12th (Sunday) and 13th (Monday/Holiday), 2025 Time: 10:00-17:00 Venue: Experience learning hall “Singing for the Future” special exhibition
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/122187/63/122187-63-fda2f7aa6268c217847a5618ad4e81ed-1536×882.jpg ▲Exhibition at Gallery EAST, Osaka-Kansai Expo 2050 Gallery “Singing for the Future” (2025 by Kohei Fujito), a much-talked-about new work unveiled at the Osaka Kansai Expo Gallery EAST “Irankarapte: Ainu Culture from Upopoy” (three days from June 10-12, 2025), will be exhibited for the first time in Hokkaido. A documentary following the work’s creation and exhibition will also be screened, as well as a talk show featuring the artist and collaborators. Date and time: October 12th (Sunday) and 13th (Monday/Holiday) 10:00-17:00 Venue: Experience learning hall annex 3 Artist Talk We will invite people involved in arts and crafts to talk about their creative activities. (1) Mr. Shigehiro Takano and Mr. Yukihiro Shibata Date and time: October 12, 2025 (Sunday) 13:30-14:00 (2) Mr. Kiyotoshi Yae and Mr. Hiroyuki Shimokura Date and time: October 13, 2025 (Monday/holiday) 14:30-15:00 Venue: Experience learning hall Moderator: Koji Yamazaki (Director, Center for Ainu and Indigenous Studies, Hokkaido
University)
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/122187/63/122187-63-e26afe4dced4e3b39b4c7c26b34661a5-768×512.png Shigehiro Takano and Yukihiro Shibata
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/122187/63/122187-63-1c482e31a355c14fe3bb55a617e74969-768×512.png Yae Kiyotoshi and Shimokura Hiroyuki Craft Workshop Learn
craftsmanship directly from a crafts artist. (1) Let’s try Kaeka (Itoyori) Lecturer: Taeko Hori Date and Time: Sunday, October 12, 2025, 10:30-11:00, 16:00-16:30 (2) Perapasui Making Experience – Instructor: Masahiko Yoshimura Date and Time: Monday, October 13, 2025 (National Holiday), 10:30-11:00, 15:30-16:00 Venue: Hands-on Learning Center
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/122187/63/122187-63-59992619d86be6e0fed0f157e0ed27e7-768×432.jpg Eiko Horita
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/122187/63/122187-63-bdff240d1f8d5d7481afcdac22966ab4-768×432.jpg Masahiko Yoshimura Traditional performing arts performance Sukus Before the traditional performing arts performance of Sukus, a talk session will be held with demonstrations explaining the vocalization of the songs featured in the performance, the performance of the mukkuri (mouth harp), and the design of the clothing worn. Date and time: October 13, 2025 (Monday/holiday) 13:00-13:50 Food culture experience This is a program where you can try the food while listening to a talk. Shiranuka Sculpin Dishes Date and Time: Sunday, October 12, 2025, 12:00-1:00 PM Ainu Cuisine in Italy Date and Time: Monday, October 13, 2025 (National Holiday), 12:00-13:00 Shikerepe Tea and Shikerepe Chocolate Date and Time: Sunday, October 12th, 2025 and Monday, October 13th (National Holiday) Time: 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/122187/63/122187-63-9f1e76959ebbcc813eb1d73fd46dfbf9-768×512.jpg Kajika cuisine (image)
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/122187/63/122187-63-19517fae3e7b56accaecaf8b0f645e1a-768×576.jpg Ainu cuisine eaten in Italy (image)
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/122187/63/122187-63-c6c8543714657fb13e824b4cd6fb4af2-768×384.jpg Shikerepe Tea and Shikerepe Chocolate (image) *The underlined part is Ainu. It is written in lowercase subscripts.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/122187/63/122187-63-a7a21e7c11fbc9a019951088cd2fc324-1920×2700.jpg The main visual features Sayo Ogasawara, who expresses Ainu culture through illustrations. Written by (Sayo)
About Upopoy (Symbolic Space for Ethnic Coexistence)
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/122187/63/122187-63-dab2f5ff5445b779041232f10bdaa069-3900×2600.jpg Opened in Shiraoi Town, Hokkaido in 2020 as a base for the revival and creation of Ainu culture. It consists of the National Ainu Museum, the first national museum in Hokkaido, the National Ethnic Coexistence Park, an experiential field museum where you can experience Ainu culture with all five senses, and a memorial facility for the Ainu people, which allows you to honor the dead with dignity. Located on the shores of Lake Poroto, surrounded by abundant nature, you can experience Ainu culture and history from various angles, including by touching and experiencing things.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/122187/63/122187-63-16e11e03ade4d1b91da6c287c56ae0a9-3900×2600.jpg Official website: https://ainu-upopoy.jp/ Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ainumuseumpark/ Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/upopoy/ Official You Tube:
https://www.youtube.com/@upopoy Address: 2-3 Wakakusa-cho,
Shiraoi-cho, Shiraoi-gun, Hokkaido 059-0902 Phone: 0144-82-3914 (Main) Access: Approximately 10 minutes on foot from JR Shiraoi Station. Approximately 40 minutes by highway or train from New Chitose Airport. Admission fee (tax included): 1,200 yen for adults, 600 yen for high school students, free for junior high school students and younger *Group rates available for groups of 20 or more. *Does not include paid experience programs or special museum exhibitions. Opening Hours: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM *Hours may vary depending on the season Closed: Mondays, December 29th – January 5th, February 28th – March 9th, and the following weekday if Monday is a public holiday *Special opening days may apply Opening date: July 12, 2020 Designated organization: Ainu Cultural Foundation, Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Press release attachments