Lake Akan & Ainu Kotan

阿寒湖アイヌコタン

By Tanja Houwerzijl

November 3^rd, 2022

Upon entering the beautiful store "Ichinge no Mise" of Kengo Takiguchi in Akanko Ainu kotan (Hokkaido), his lovely 14 -year old dog, Goku, welcomed me inside. We started to talk and Kengo Takiguchi, a woodcarver, just like his famous father Masamitsu Takiguchi shared a bit of his life story that intrigued me straight away. He took over his father's (work)shop after figuring out what it meant to be Ainu during an extended period of time in Australia, where he learned about the Aboriginal's cultural heritage. A couple of days later, Kengo-san took me on a nature walk together with his lovely wife Ayako Inoue, an artist who has started to make traditional Ainu crafts since she settled down in Akanko. During the walk on the "righteous path", a nature reserve with ancient trees, hot spring lakes and if you're unlucky a big brown bear in your face, I enjoyed a 'lecture' on the importance of nature in Ainu culture. I learned that Ainu have always coexisted with and respected nature. For them, not only the natural world, but also the tools and the things they wear are gods, which they call "kamuy". Seeing Kengo perform his prayer ceremony in his shop, listening to the sounds of Ainu language I have come to realise how rich this culture is and more importantly how much we can learn from their attitude and way of living with nature. It is heart breaking to understand how they have been treated so disrespectfully throughout decennia by the dominant Japanese culture. Unfortunately Ainu people have been facing the same discrimination as other indigenous cultures throughout the rest of the world.

Kengo Takiguchi performing his traditional Ainu prayer using a wooden cup of sake in which he dips the "Ikupasuy", a ceremonial stick used by Ainu men when making offerings to the gods and spirits.

Kengo Takiguchi's workshop where he sells and carves his wooden items. The hanging tote bags are designed with drawings of his wife Ayako Inoue.

A wooden handbag carved by Kengo Takiguchi's mother.

Kengo Takiguchi in his traditional kimono while taking a walk on the 'righteous path' in a forest close to Ainu Kotan for which special entry permission is required.

Kengo Takiguchi's knowledge of the forest is overwhelming, every tree, piece of moss, leaf or berry has a story and is ultimately a gift of God. Ainu have always lived closely intertwined with nature, they have an intimate relationship with nature on which they have always depended for their livelyhoods by hunting and fishing. In this day and age there is a lot to be learned from the way of living with nature like the Ainu have always done. They don't control nature but learn from it which is a wisdom that can be helpful with regard to sustainable development.

Woodpeckers have created large holes in this tree, a rare sight.

Natural hot springs are everywhere in this area in the middle of vulcanoes. The smell of sulphur and the hot steam evaporating from underground are adding to the mysterious atmosphere in the nature reserve.

Kengo Takiguchi admiring the trunk of an old Katsura tree overgrown with moss.

Lake Akan and Ainu Kotan ("kotan" = settlement, "Ainu" = human, in Ainu language) are both well known attractions in the middle of the Kushiro region of Eastern Hokkaido. About 120 families live in the 36 houses of the Kotan. It's a couple of streets full of shops selling the typical woodwork, handicrafts, fabrics and art works of Ainu people and it also offers a few restaurants with typical Ainu food, a small museum and a theatre where traditional Ainu dances are performed.