Building a holistic and participatory approach to Ainu heritage ecosystem: lessons and challenges from ecomuseum planning in Biratori Town, Japan
Mayumi OkadaPurpose
This study examines how an ecomuseum approach mediates diverse heritage elements to foster an Ainu heritage ecosystem that aligns with Ainu worldviews, specifically iwor (hunting grounds in the Ainu language). Furthermore, it explores the potentials and tensions of the Sisirmuka Iwor Museum project in Biratori, Japan, which adopts a participatory ecomuseum approach challenging the historical disenfranchisement of Ainu stewardship within heritage management.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employs a case analysis of the Sisirmuka Iwor Museum project, aimed at integrating culture and nature, and tangible and intangible heritage, grounded in iwor, across the Saru River Basin. Methodologically, the study draws on ethnographic observations and participatory planning records from the Biratori community in 2023 and 2024, as well as scholarship on ecomuseum, heritage ecosystem and Indigenous heritage discourse, to evaluate how the ecomuseum approach can be mobilised in practice.
Findings
The ecomuseum planning phase advances dialogical interactions among multiple actors in Ainu heritage, which are operationalised in the practice of cultural revitalisation and biodiversity conservation in mutually reinforcing ways. However, systemic barriers rooted in settler-colonial legacies and entrenched heritage management practices risk reducing Ainu agency to mere culturalisation. For future improvement, the project aims to transition towards co-management, shared decision-making and the coevolution of knowledge about heritage with external stakeholders.
Originality/value
This study presents Japan’s first framework mediating Ainu worldviews and heritage management, aligned with the heritage ecosystem concept. By reframing iwor as a living relational system, it reasserts Ainu agency to reclaim stewardship within state frameworks and contributes to decolonial discourse.