Home Art & Museums Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park video

Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park video

Art & Museums · March 14, 2026 · 0 Comment
My video explains about Upopoy, the National Ainu Museum and Park in Shiraoi, Hokkaido, Japan. Focuses on traditional Ainu music and dances. Helps you to better understand what’s what before you visit Upopoy or see Ainu dances. Ainu dances were filmed at Upopoy, Tokyo Big Sight (Tourism Expo Japan 2024), and Shiraoi Port.
Video link: https://youtu.be/yxn0KJ6v564

“Upopoy” is the nickname for the National Ainu Museum and Park which opened in Shiraoi, Hokkaido in July 2020. It means “singing together in a large group.”

Upopoy is Japan’s largest Ainu tourist attraction and research facility. It’s a large, complex of buildings spread out in a scenic lakeside park. There’s the National Ainu Museum, traditional Ainu village called “Kotan,” Cultural Exchange Hall for daily dance performances, Crafts studio demonstrating Ainu handicrafts, and workshop buildings for hands-on workshops.

upopoy map
Circled in red are the places where you can see Ainu dance performances at the Cultural Exchange Hall and Kotan village. Click to enlarge.

This video first gives a basic overview of Upopoy so you will know what’s what when you visit. There’s a lot to see and do, but the main attraction is the traditional music and dance performances which this video focuses on. Any first-time visit to Hokkaido should include Upopoy. It’s not too far from Sapporo or Shin-Chitose Airport.

Kotan Ainu village.
Kotan Ainu village.
Inside an Ainu house.
Inside an Ainu house.

The Ainu are an indigenous people mostly in Hokkaido. Their culture and language have had a strong influence in Hokkaido, especially in Hokkaido place names. Ainu culture and language are totally different from Japanese culture and language, so it’s quite fascinating. Ainu culture is also getting mainstream attention thanks to a popular manga, anime, and live action film called “Golden kamuy.”

Shiraoi is a Pacific coastal town in southwestern Hokkaido where the Ainu have long lived. Early Ainu were attracted to Shiraoi’s ocean, rivers, lakes, forests, and mountains. It was a rich natural environment for hunting and harvesting whatever they needed for daily living. They believed everything in nature had its own deity, so it was a sacred place. However, the traditional Ainu way of life is no more. Nobody lives in thatch houses anymore. Most all Ainu today live a modern life like any normal Japanese. The stereotypical, old photos of Ainu you see are also long past.

The Ainu are an indigenous people originally living in northern Honshu, Hokkaido, Sakhalin, and the Kuril islands. They have their own culture, customs, language, and beliefs. “Ainu” literally means “humans” in contrast to “kamuy” divine spirits or deities.

Video Contents

About Upopoy

Ainu performances at Upopoy

Tourism Expo Japan 2024 (Tokyo Big Sight)

Shiraoi Port, Hokkaido

Upopoy Visitors’ Tips

  • Allow as much time as you can (preferably the entire day) at Upopoy.
  • I spent the entire day there and still couldn’t see or do everything.
  • Before entering Upopoy, buy takeout food outside the entrance. (No eateries inside the park as of Jan. 2026.)
  • After entering Upopoy, go to the Cultural Exchange Hall’s ticket booth to get free tickets for scheduled dance performances.
  • Check program times at the kotan village (especially poro cise).
  • For hands-on activities, workshops, and lessons, see the official website for the day’s schedule. https://ainu-upopoy.jp/en/

Tips for Upopoy in winter

  • Closing time (usually 5 pm) is earlier than in warmer months.
  • Shiraoi gets less snow than Sapporo, so it’s easier to get around.
  • Even with snow, the staff will clear the snow from the park’s main walking paths, so it’s usually not a problem.
  • If you wear spikes on your shoes, you need to take them off in the museum, etc.
  • In winter, most things are held indoors. In warmer months, there are outdoor activities and dances performed on the outdoor stage in the kotan village.
  • Fewer visitors in winter, so easier to see everything.
Short talk about Ainu homes inside poro cise.
Short talk about Ainu homes inside poro cise.
Mukkuri mouth harp.
Mukkuri mouth harp.
Tonkori zither
Tonkori zither
Upopoy main entrance.

You can buy Upopoy tickets at the entrance when you arrive. You can also buy advance tickets online from the official website and get a discount. https://onlineticket-upopoy.jp/en/

Getting to Upopoy

Upopoy is near JR Shiraoi Station.
From JR Sapporo Station, about 1 hr by limited express train.
From Shin-Chitose Airport, about 40 min.
From JR Hakodate Station, about 3 hr.

Limited express train (tokkyu) on the JR Muroran Line.
JR Shiraoi Station has lockers for most luggage sizes. Use ¥100 coins.
The station does not have a gift shop.

After exiting JR Shiraoi Station, go right, enter this door and go up the stairs or elevator to the pedestrian bridge.

Walk through the “Free Passage” to the north exit of the station.

From the north exit, short walk (600 m) to Upopoy. Just follow the signs.
If you come by car, Upopoy has parking.

Upopoy is also near Shiraoi Port where cruise ships can dock for a day trip by chartered bus.

Essential Ainu Vocabulary

Upopoy uses the Ainu language to name their facilities, activities, and things. The Japanese equivalent is in katakana. Ainu language romanization is slightly different from the Hepburn system. English also usually provided.

Ainu – humans, name of indigenous people in Hokkaido
kamuy – god/goddess, deity (pronounced “kamui”)
Upopoy – Nickname of National Ainu Museum and Park, meaning “singing together in a large group.”
kotan – Traditional Ainu village
cise – Traditional Ainu house (pronounced “chee-say”)
rimse – singing dance
iran-karapte – Hello, greetings, konnichiwa
mukkuri – mouth harp
tonkori – zither
iyomante – Bear spirit send-off ceremony
kamuy mosir – divine world of deities
Ainu mosir – world of humans
Ezo – former name of Hokkaido until 1869 poroto – big lake
iya-irai-ke-re! – Thank you!
-betsu or -nai – river (found in many Hokkaido place names such as Noboribetsu)
wajin – Japanese people from Japanese mainland

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Philbert Ono

Owner and operator of PHOTOGUIDE.JP and photojpn.org.