The Ainu and Northern Peoples
-
Necklace
Hokkaido Ainu, 19th century (Gift of Mr. Tokugawa Yorisada)Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 16
November 18, 2025 (Tue) - February 15, 2026 (Sun)Ainu culture is distinctively unique. From the 1200s onward, the Ainu people in Sakhalin, the Kurile Islands, Hokkaido, and the northern Tōhoku region began trading with peoples based in the Amur River Basin and Maritime Province of Siberia, as well as people from mainland Japan. These exchanges, together with subsistence activities of the Ainu such as hunting, fishing, and foraging, have shaped their culture into what it is today.
Ainu-related artifacts in the Tokyo National Museum’s collection consist of materials and objects transferred from the bureau for the 1873 Vienna World’s Fair and those donated by private owners.
This exhibit mainly introduces the material culture of the northern peoples based in regions such as Alaska and Sakhalin, who have traditionally had interactions with the Ainu.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | Necklace | Hokkaido Ainu | 19th century | Gift of Mr. Tokugawa Yorisada, K-27708 | |||
| Highlight | Boots | Sakhalin Ainu | 19th century | Gift of Mr. Tokugawa Yorisada, K-27977-1 | On exhibit through January 12, 2026 | ||
| Highlight | Sheath Knife | Ainu | 19th century | Gift of Mr. Tokugawa Yorisada, K-39147 | |||
| Highlight | Seal-Hunting Lure | Alaskan Eskimo, Wainwright, Alaska, USA | 19th–20th century | Gift of Mr. Aubrey H. Perrin, TK-3408 | |||
| Highlight | Fishhook | Alaskan Eskimo, Sitka, Alaska, USA | 19th century | TK-2345 | |||
| Highlight | Coat | Hokkaido Ainu | 19th century | K-27495 | On exhibit from January 14, 2026 | ||
| Highlight | Dogsled (Model) | Sakhalin Ainu | 19th century | Gift of the Hokkaido Project Management Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce, K-25869 |