Nearly 150 years ago, Ezo, home of the indigenous Ainu people, was rechristened Hokkaido, formalizing the centuries-long process of the island¡¯s assimilation into Japan.
To mark this occasion, a number of companies, groups and municipalities have banded together to launch the Hokkaido 150th Anniversary Project. Hokkaido Prefecture has earmarked ? 268 million for the project in its budget for fiscal 2018.
Coming 10 years after the government acknowledged the Ainu as northern Japan¡¯s ¡°indigenous people,¡± this should be a time to reflect on the consequences of the colonization of Ainu land and the near-decimation of the Ainu people and culture. But while raising awareness of Ainu culture is one of the stated goals of the 150th Anniversary Project, the Japanese word for ¡°indigenous people¡± appears nowhere in the project¡¯s publicity materials.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.