Summary
Upopoy held its sixth-anniversary Upopoy Festival 2026 on July 11 and 12, 2026, centred on the culture bearers who have supported the site since before its opening.
Upopoy held its sixth-anniversary festival, Upopoy Festival 2026, on July 11 and 12, 2026 in Shiraoi. The programme was framed as an expression of gratitude to the Ainu culture bearers from across Hokkaido and beyond who have supported the site since before its 2020 opening.
Programme highlights
- Special oral literature performance Neusar An Ro, featuring culture bearers from multiple regions.
- Performing arts showcase tracing the paths of transmitted performances alongside their bearers.
- Costume exhibition Wearing Culture: Ainu Costume – Ruunpe Edition, connecting the makers of traditional garments with the staff members who perform in them.
- Photo exhibition by Hiroshi Ikeda, featuring 18 years of portraits of Ainu residents across Hokkaido.
Why it matters
The sixth-anniversary edition emphasised the human continuity behind Ainu culture, letting visitors meet not only historical material but the people currently practising and passing it on.
For international readers
Upopoy opened on July 12, 2020 as Japan’s national symbolic space for ethnic harmony. Its anniversary events have become a fixed point in the Hokkaido summer cultural calendar.
Source: Upopoy press release, June 11, 2026.
Source Details
| Source | Upopoy - National Ainu Museum and Park |
|---|---|
| Original Title | 開業6周年「ウポポイ祭2026」を開催 |
| Original Published | 2026-06-11 |
| Region | shiraoi |
| Target Reader | general |
| Review Status | reviewed |
| Risk Level | normal |
| Original Source | Upopoy - National Ainu Museum and Park |
Editor Note
Event has occurred by July 26, 2026. Present as retrospective story if publishing after date.