Permalink : http://hdl.handle.net/2115/45280

The Hakodate magistrate (bugyo) vaccinated the Ainu people for smallpox during the period from 1857 to 1859. Previous studies state that the Ainu people fled to the mountains for fear of the smallpox vaccination. This paper aims to clarify the actual situation that led to the Ainu people fleeing to the mountains and the factors that caused it. In section I, I studied all resources concerning the above-mentioned situation in previous studies. My research shows that the fleeing of the Ainu people to the mountains was recorded only in four places (yamukusinai, mororan, yuuhutu, and horobetu in east Ezo). In section II,I examined other resources concerning the smallpox vaccination and verified that the Ainu people reacted differently toward the smallpox vaccinations. In section III, I verified that one of the factors that caused the Ainu people to flee to the mountains was the attitude of the local administrative officers who forced them for the vaccination. Future research should clarify the reason for the emphasis on the Ainu people fleeing to the mountains in the historical study of the smallpox vaccination for the Ainu people.