This thesis focuses on the Ainu, the indigenous people of Hokkaido Japan, and how they were represented in visual sources from the early modern period. The analysis features twelve prints and...Show moreThis thesis focuses on the Ainu, the indigenous people of Hokkaido Japan, and how they were represented in visual sources from the early modern period. The analysis features twelve prints and scrolls that show the Ainu as inferior or 'other' to their Japanese neighbors. Furthermore, the sources involve the concepts of racial stereotyping and power conflicts.Show less
An inclusive model of community-based Indigenous physical anthropological research projects has been conducted by constructing dialogues between researchers and Indigenous descendant communities in...Show moreAn inclusive model of community-based Indigenous physical anthropological research projects has been conducted by constructing dialogues between researchers and Indigenous descendant communities in a global context. Acknowledging the ownership of Indigenous communities over the ancestral human remains, physical anthropologists often support repatriation by closely working with community members. However, in Japan, the repatriation of human remains of the Indigenous Ainu people has not successfully collaborated with physical anthropologists. The relationship between physical anthropologists and Ainu people who are being critical of the use of “stolen”, unethically excavated ancestral human remains on scientific research is in much tension and they are far from an inclusive model. This thesis addresses the issues surrounding the attempts of communication between these parties. By understanding the social and historical background of the situation, as well as comparing occasional dialogues and opinions of stakeholders with successful cases of an inclusive model in global context, I was able to identify the issues. Despite the acknowledgement of the rights of the Ainu over their heritage in the code of ethics, the attempts of making communication are insufficient in terms of the recognition of Ainu kotan (community) with their ownership over the ancestral remains, and there are misconceptions and ignorance between each other. In order to move forward towards an inclusive model, physical anthropologists should approach to the Ainu sincerely to construct dialogue by charanke, a discussion in Ainu manner. Understanding the specific demands and feelings of Ainu kotan and being aware the socio-political impacts of their research outcomes are also essential. Through these efforts, an inclusive model may be achieved in the future, working with the Ainu as sisamu, good neighbour.Show less
This thesis discusses, through a literary survey and fieldwork in Tokyo and Osaka, the question to what extent there is an imperial legacy or discourse resonating in Japanese museums. In particular...Show moreThis thesis discusses, through a literary survey and fieldwork in Tokyo and Osaka, the question to what extent there is an imperial legacy or discourse resonating in Japanese museums. In particular, it focuses on the representation of the Ainu and Koreans between 1977 and 2017 in the Tokyo National Museum (Tohaku) and the National Museum of Ethnology (Minpaku), located in Osaka. Research shows that an imperial discourse is present, particulary in the linguistic terminology and items put up on display. However, as the case study of the Ainu in Minpaku shows, there is room for change and balance.Show less
Around the 12th century AD in Japan, a cultural transition takes place on the northern island of Hokkaido: Okhotsk culture and Satsumon culture (approx. 6th to 12th century AD) come to an end as...Show moreAround the 12th century AD in Japan, a cultural transition takes place on the northern island of Hokkaido: Okhotsk culture and Satsumon culture (approx. 6th to 12th century AD) come to an end as Ainu culture emerges. The Okhotsk people, focused strongly on exploitation of marine resources, originated on the island of Sakhalin and migrated south to Hokkaido and along its northeastern coast. The Satsumon people on the other hand, lived mostly in riverine settlements on the southern half and inland of Hokkaido. They practiced agriculture of wheat, barley and millet, as well as salmon fishing. This cultural transition is not yet well understood. I will focus on the role of Okhotsk culture in this process. How did interaction and exchange of Okhotsk people with Satsumon culture impact its decline and the transition to proto-Ainu culture on Hokkaido? To investigate this issue, Peer Polity Interaction theory is applied. Within this framework, eight different types of interaction are defined: competition, competitive emulation, warfare, transmission of innovation, symbolic entrainment, ceremonial exchange of valuables, flow of commodities, and language and ethnicity. This theory avoids insinuating dominance of one group over the other, and allows for the incorporation not just of material culture but also symbolic aspects. Using the English sources available, 32 Okhotsk sites have been examined for evidence of interaction and exchange with Satsumon culture according to these categories. The existing theories about the decline of Okhotsk culture involving migration, trade and warfare have been analyzed, and then reevaluated based on the results of the Peer Polity Interaction approach. Evidence of Satsumon pottery at Okhotsk sites, iron goods and import of bear cubs all points to a larger reliance on trade and exchange than previously assumed, to the detriment of Okhotsk production. This increased interaction allowed for symbolic entrainment to occur, leading to a more widespread adoption of an early form of the bear sending ceremony. This ritual is known ethnographically from later Ainu culture, but not Satsumon culture which is said to be its main ancestor. This research aims to contribute to our understanding of interaction between marine hunter-gatherers and agricultural people.Show less
