Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park
ウポポイ（民族共生象徴空間）
Japan's first national museum dedicated to the Ainu, opened in 2020. Its lakeside park offers traditional song and dance performances, a reconstructed village, and craft experiences.
Upopoy sits on the shore of Lake Poroto in Shiraoi Town. It opened in July 2020 and consists of the National Ainu Museum, the National Ainu Park for Ethnic Harmony, and a memorial facility. It is the best place to learn about the Ainu, the Indigenous people of Hokkaido. The museum presents the Ainu language, beliefs, daily life, and crafts systematically, with Ainu as its primary language. In the park's experience center, traditional Ainu dance, recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, is performed every day. The reconstructed traditional village Kotan offers demonstrations of wood carving, embroidery, and musical instruments. Admission is about 1,200 yen. Hours are about 09:00–17:00, closed on Mondays; check the official website. It is about a 10-minute walk from JR Shiraoi Station.
Opening hours
09:00–17:00, closed Mondays
Nearby sights
- Mount Tarumae
- Lake Kuttara
- Lake Shikotsu
- Noboribetsu Marine Park Nixe
- Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival
- Noboribetsu Bear Park
- Oyunuma Pond & Natural Footbath
- Noboribetsu Date Jidaimura