open access

https://hdl.handle.net/2115/100409

The intellectual property of Japan’s Indigenous Ainu people should be better protected

英語

tourism

2026-03-02

The University of Melbourne

Melbourne Asia Review

The relationship between the Ainu, Japan’s Indigenous people, and Hokkaido tourism has become increasingly close in recent years. This shift was marked by the 2019 enactment of the Ainu Policy Promotion Act, aiming to support not only cultural revitalisation but also broader measures to support Ainu people, and by the 2020 opening of Upopoy, the National Ainu Museum and Park. These milestones signalled a new era in which Ainu culture is actively presented to national and international audiences through tourism. Across Hokkaido, Ainu culture has become more visible in visitor experiences, from craft markets to cultural performances and guided tours. Simultaneously, criticisms have emerged regarding cultural appropriation in tourism contexts and wider cultural industries. Ainu words and traditional motifs are increasingly used in souvenirs, promotional materials, and branding, often by non-Ainu business operators with little understanding of their cultural contexts and significance. In some cases, Ainu-inspired designs are reproduced without permission and sold for others’ profit, undermining Ainu people’s cultural stewardship and seriously impeding Indigenous-led economic and social empowerment through tourism. For many Ainu, the use of motifs or linguistic expressions outside of cultural protocols reduces their heritage to a market commodity, disconnecting cultural elements from their lived contexts. Against this backdrop, this article highlights how Ainu communities in Hokkaido, particularly the Lake Akan and Biratori regions, are exploring practical measures to protect Ainu Intellectual Property (IP) in the tourism sector, often in collaboration with local governments and non-Indigenous operators. By focusing on these initiatives, I explore how Ainu communities, tourism stakeholders, and municipal governments interact on the ground, revealing opportunities alongside persistent challenges.

学術雑誌論文

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

2652-550X