Ainu Museum - Poroto Kotan - （アイヌ民族博物館 しらおいポロトコタン）| Shiraoi

Ainu is the indigenous people of Hokkaido with their own culture and language. Several tens of thousands of Ainu still live in Hokkaido and other areas.
An Ainu settlement, originally in Shiraoi's urban district, was moved and restored by Lake Poroto in 1965 as an outdoor museum.

Let's go to the "Ainu Museum - Poroto Kotan - （アイヌ民族博物館　しらおいポロトコタン）"!

Near the entrance, the huge statue of Kotan Korukuru （which means a village chief) welcomes you!

The facility has five cises, thatched houses for Ainu people, and

we can enjoy Ainu cultural performance there! 

This is mukkuri, a mouth harp made of bamboo. How beautiful and dynamic the sound is!

This is tonkori, a kind of stringed instrument. I love this gentle sound!

They also sing their lullaby, and perform some of their folk dance! Very interesting! The show lasts for about 20-30 minutes in total.

Look at the ceiling! The salmon is being smoked! Actually one of my tour guests bought this smoked salmon! This used to be a typical reserved food for Ainu during the winter time.

The facility also include a botanical garden, an animal barn, and so on. This is pu, a food storage, built on stilts in order to keep food stuff (dried fish, seafood, and millet) safe from moisture and rats mainly.

Let's go to the museum in the same compound, too!

Some of their kimono is made of bark, and some of their shoes are made of salmon skin...........

We can also learn their rituals, such as Iomante, a bear festival. Please learn how they viewed beers as sacred animals!

Look at Lake Poroto! How beautiful it is! Potoro means lake in Ainu language.

There are some souvenir shops near the entrance. Actually I bought some Ainu embroideries!

This is their typical wood craft! Ainu regard many animals as sacred, and the beer is the chief of all animals. They also believe that their deities can incarnate into beers, and roam the earth to keep an eye on their followers.

■Where is "Ainu Museum - Poroto Kotan - （アイヌ民族博物館　しらおいポロトコタン）"?

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■Tour guide information■

Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?I'll guide you! Plz click here!

Maruyama Park （円山公園）| Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom | Sapporo

Maruyama Park （円山公園） in Sapporo is a famous place for cherry blossom viewing. They usually start to bloom at the end of April and last for about one week.

We Hokkaido people usually enjoy lamb BBQ under cherry blossoms. Interesting custom, isn't it? Hahaha!

When we went there, the weather is not perfect, but the blossoms are in full bloom!!!

Let's go to Hokkaido Shrine ground!

During the cherry season, food stalls are lined along the shrine alleys in the premise.

First, we visited Kaitaku (Development) Shrine （開拓神社）. 37 people who contributed to Hokkaido development are enshrined here.

I love the contrast of pink cherry blossoms and green cedar leaves! How beautiful it is!

Let's go to the area, where about 1,600 cherry trees are planted!

Although it was windy yesterday, we could enjoy the beautiful blossoms today!!

Not only local people but also tourists enjoyed cherry blossom viewing here!

In this park, mainly two kinds of cherry blossoms can be enjoyed like this↓

We were so impressed with this beauty!

The blossoms last for only one week! If you want to see them, please be in a hurry!!!

Actually this is my favorite spot! From torii (Shinto) gate, a long approach leads to the main hall.

Look at this!
Cherry trees are planted along the alley!

Shinto shrine and cherry blossoms look very Japanese, don't they???

Let's go to the main hall!
Well, well, well,  a wedding ceremony was held today!! We have to look for the bride and groom!!

They look very happy, don't they???

*If you want to know more information on Hokkaido Shrine, please refer to my other post→☆!

We were so impressed with cherry blossoms today!

■Where is "Maruyama Park （円山公園)" & "Hokkaido Shrine （北海道神宮）"?

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■Tour guide information■

Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?

I'll guide you! Plz click here!

Sumitomo Ponbetsu Coal Mine （住友奔別炭坑）| Largest Shaft in Asia | Mikasa

Ikusyunbetsu （幾春別） in Mikasa had once flourished in the coal mining industry. In 1880, this coal mine was found by the government, and developed by the private sector.

This shaft was constructed in 1960. It is 51m high and 750m deep, the largest shaft in Asia at that time. Actually we cannot tell Hokkaido history without coal mining. There were more than 100 coal mines in Hokkaido at its best!

It was said that this shaft could be used for 100 years, but closed in 1971 partly due to cheaper imported coal.

This is a coal dressing building. Please imagine how huge the coal industry was in the 19th to 20th century!

At the entrance of the "Sumitomo Ponbetsu Coal Mine （住友奔別炭坑）", we can learn their history with the board.

Houses for miners still remain near this site,

Near the coal mine, there is a small shinto shrine named "Ikusyunbetu Shrine （幾春別神社）". Let's go upstairs!

This is a main hall.

I can imagine a lot of people came here to pray for their prosperity at that time!

The area itself is like an outdoor museum for me!

I really enjoyed the history of Hokkaido today!

■Where is "Sumitomo Ponbetsu Coal Mine （住友奔別炭坑）"?

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■Tour guide information■

Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?

I'll guide you! Plz click here!

Sapporo Beer Garden （サッポロビール園）

The Genghis Khan Hall in its old glory is a red brick building with ivy climbing up the sides.
Built in 1890, it used to serve as a government office building when the central government was sending pioneers to Hokkaido. This profound historical building has an atmosphere that will give you an unique feeling every time you set foot inside.

Green ivy is beautiful in the spring and summer time!

In the Winter time, big Christmas trees and ice candles are decorated outside the building. How romantic the atmosphere is!

As you enter the building, firewood lines the walls where a large and glowing fireplace stands and the aroma of the beer hall welcomes you.

A giant kessel reaches toward the high ceiling of the beer hall where you can eat "Genghis Khan" or  barbecued mutton or lamb on hot plates shaped like Hokkaido, and drink down the delicious draft beer.

Are you worried about a BBQ smell? Don't worry! You can put your jacket in a plastic bag so that it doesn't pick up a BBQ smell from the cooking!

Anyway, plz wear casual clothes when you eat Genghis Khan

Enjoy veeeeeeeeeeeeeeery fresh Sappro Beer here!

Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeers!

This mascot welcomes you, too!

Come to the Sapporo Beer Garden and eat and drink as much Genghis Khan and beer as you can!

Fresh Lamb Genghis Khan Buffet is 3,670 yen.

I'll come back here again with my tour guests this week! How lucky I am!



■Where is the Sapporo Beer Garden?

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■Tour guide information■

Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?

I'll guide you! Plz click here!