Ainu Kotan

Top choice in Hokkaidō


This collection of shops and households is actually the largest Ainu village in Hokkaidō. Residents make a living promoting their culture: dancing on the stage at Ikor, cooking pochie (fermented potato dumplings) in restaurants, and selling wood and leather crafts, made with traditional techniques and motifs.

In the evenings (May to November) there's a procession around 8.30pm to light torches around the village.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Hokkaidō attractions

1. Ainu Folklore Museum

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At the top of the hill in the Ainu kotan, this small museum has changing exhibitions of contemporary Ainu artisan work, and sometimes thought-provoking…

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