Where can I have a genuine Ainu cultural experience in Hokkaido?
During my next trip to Japan I may end up in Hokkaido. I've read something about this mysterious indigenous group called Ainu/Aynu/Aino/Ezo, but I must admit my understanding of the whole thing is rather limited right now.
What I wish to know is: is there such a thing like an authentic Ainu village/town/whole-region where Ainu people live according to their tradition, as opposed to something staged for tourists?
Edit: given the comments below I wish to specify better what I mean with the word 'authentic'. Of course, I don't expect pristine landscapes and Ainu people living in blissful harmony with fluffy penguins (semi-quote) but I won't be surprised to find out there still are authentic villages in remote areas of Hokkaido where mass tourism is not an issue at all.
People are subject to tourist's attention (tourist coming from different countries, at least) everywhere, not only when they "made a conscious decision to live a traditional life". This doesn't actually mean anything. Indian people are surprisingly differents (in local customs) from Italians and Italians take a lot of pictures during their travels there, still the tourism isn't banned in India.
Best Answer
It appears that due to the assimilation and modernisation policies during the Meiji Era in Japan, the Ainu culture and traditions received a 'decisive blow'.
See the Promotion of Ainu Culture article and Ainu Museum information.
So it is very unlikely, and if enclaves did exist, they would be as Michael Borgwardt suggests, off limits to tourists.
It was only very recently, 2008, that the Ainu were officially recognised as indigenous people of Japan (see Wikipedia). (I remember hearing that on the news when I lived in Tokyo at the time).
Pictures about "Where can I have a genuine Ainu cultural experience in Hokkaido?"
Can you visit the Ainu?
The Lake Akan area in Eastern Hokkaido is offering tour programs that introduce the culture of the indigenous Ainu people. Led by Ainu guides, the tours give participants the chance to learn about Ainu folklore and spirituality, and how to play traditional Ainu instruments.Where in Hokkaido do Ainu live?
At that time, the Ainu primarily made their livelihood by fishing, hunting and plant gathering, and also traded with people in other areas. It is not certain when Wajin* began living in Ezo (presently Hokkaido). Their areas of residence spread from Mukawa in the east to Yoichi in the west.Where can I find Ainu people?
The Ainu are the indigenous people of the lands surrounding the Sea of Okhotsk, including Hokkaido Island, Northeast Honshu Island, Sakhalin Island, the Kuril Islands, the Kamchatka Peninsula and Khabarovsk Krai, before the arrival of the Yamato Japanese and Russians.Does Ainu culture still exist?
Only a few isolated neighbourhood pockets of Ainu people remain, scattered across Hokkaido, with most of the estimated 20,000 Ainu (there are no official figures) assimilated into cities and towns around the island. However, travellers who look carefully will be able to see traces of their culture everywhere.Introduction of Ainu Culture-related Facilities in Hokkaido
More answers regarding where can I have a genuine Ainu cultural experience in Hokkaido?
Answer 2
The sad but true answer is nowhere, really. While some 20,000 people in Hokkaido identify as Ainu, virtually all have more or less assimilated into Japanese society. By some estimates there are less than a dozen native speakers of the language left, and the Ainu "villages" at Shiraoi and Akan are tourist traps.
Probably the closest you can get is the hamlet of Nibutani (???), home to the Nibutani Ainu Culture Museum (site in Japanese only) and former home of outspoken Ainu activist Shigeru Kayano. Japan Today has a good description, which also mentions a few Ainu-run minshuku to stay at. This is also where Kayano set up Japan's first Ainu language schools, although I'm not sure any are open to the public.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Sound On, Felicity Tai, Felicity Tai, cottonbro