Asahikawa Ainu 1 Day
Hiking & Culture Tour
Guided day tour from Asahikawafrom
Enter the world of the Ainu, the indigenous people of Hokkaido. An active one day introduction to their culture and history, with a day hike to a spiritual peak, Mt Arashiyama.
We are no longer taking bookings for this tour
Our team at Adventure Hokkaido is still small and, due to high demand for tours, our guides have little availability for the foreseeable future.
For this reason, we have decided to stop offering day tours for the time being and focus our energy on our Multi-day Guided Tours. As our team grows, we hope to offer day tours again in the future.
For customers who have already booked for this summer, we will still honour your existing booking.
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Tour Duration
1 Day -
Minimum Travellers
4 People -
Accommodation
Day trip -
Tour Starts
Asahikawa -
Included Meals
1 Lunch -
Tour Finishes
Asahikawa
Tour Highlights
- Visit a historical Ainu museum established in 1916 and run today by local descendants of the founder.
- Experience Ainu culture through visit and a heart-to-heart talk with our hosts.
- Learn from your guide how Ainu worshipped nature while hiking at Mt Arashiyama, a sacred mountain for the Ainu.
About the Ainu
Ainu (or Aynu) are the indigenous people of Hokkaido, who developed their own distinctive culture and language in Hokkaido long before the arrival of Japanese people to the island. Ainu people were hunter-gatherers who survived mainly by fishing and hunting up until the mid-19th century, when the island was officially named Hokkaido and the Japanese Government started administering it as part of Japan’s territory. Under the Hokkaido Development Commission, the island became part of Japan and unfortunately the Ainu people were forced to give up practicing their customs and culture; which included unique tattoos and speaking their own language.
In 2018, however, the “Kamikawa Ainu” were recognised with Japan Heritage status, which identified more than 20 sites relating to the Ainu and their legends in the Kamikawa Region. On this tour, we will visit two of these sites of cultural importance, Kawamura Kaneto Ainu Museum and Mt Arashiyama. The museum is the only private Ainu museum in Japan today, and is named after a tribal chief of the Kamikawa Ainu, who have lived in the area for generations. Today the museum is run by his descendants, the museum having been passed down from generation to generation. Our hosts will share their story with us over a special lunch. In the afternoon we will hike to Mt Arashiyama together with our Ainu hosts.
Join us on this unique experience to discover the past and present of Ainu indigenous life and culture.
Who is this tour for?
- Active travellers who enjoy walking for 3 to 5 hours a day.
- Curious travellers who enjoy a mixture of activities & sightseeing and learning about the regions they visit.
- Adventurous travellers who enjoy rural hospitality staying in Japanese style accommodations with natural hot springs on site.
When is the best time to visit Asahikawa?
We run this tour during the snow free months between May and October and anytime during this period is the perfect time to go! Spring arrives in Asahikawa in early May and the spring flowers start waking after sleeping under snow for a good five months. Mt Arashiyama and its nature reserve is a popular spot to see the spring flowers, including dogtooth violets and Corydalis, in bloom. June enjoys pleasant weather for hiking and enjoying the fresh greenery. In July and August, as the temperatures rise, we pull out our short sleeves to make the most of the summer days! The Daisetsuzan mountain range, which we can observe from the top of Mt Arashiyama, becomes snow-capped again in late September. The foliage starts turning vivid colours at this point, and is at its most brilliant during October.
Tour Inclusions
Items that are included in the cost of tour price.- Bento lunch, prepared by the local Ainu
- Admission & Guided tour in the Ainu museum
- Guided hiking tour to Mt Arashiyama
- English speaking local guide(s)
- Transport to/from Asahikawa
- Accommodation pick-up and drop-off
What to bring on your Asahikawa Ainu 1 Day Hiking & Culture Tour
Essentials
- Waterproof jacket and pants
- Adequate footwear for hiking
- Fleece jacket (even in the summer the temperatures can drop below 15˚C/60˚F)
- Gloves, beanie, and other items to keep you warm
- Sun hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses
- Water bottle or hydration system of more than 1L
- Personal medications
- Backpack with enough capacity to carry all of the above
- Travel insurance
Recommended
- Walking poles
- Camera
- Insect repellent
We supply
- Bento lunch prepared by the local Ainu
- Drink
- First aid kit
- Safety equipment and maps
As a heads-up, there will be a few times during the tour when you have to take your shoes off before entering the Ainu museum and the Ainu house. You may not be accustomed to this, but it is a very common practice in Japanese culture. (Your best hole-less socks will come in handy for this!)
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Kawamura Kaneto Ainu Museum, Asahikawa
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Welcome greeting given by the host in Ainu house "cise"
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Lunch in the "cise" sat around the fire
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Guided tour through the Kawamura Kaneto Ainu Museum
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Ainu wood carving statue displayed at the museum
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Learning about the use of wild plants by Ainu
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Ainu's traditional house "cise" at the bottom of Mt Arashiyama
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The trailhead of Mt Arashiyama, Asahikawa
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The view of Daisetsuzan mountains from the top of Mt Arashiyama
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The museum host Hisae Kawamura san
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Singing an Ainu song in rounds
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Thanks Kawamura san for sharing many Ainu stories and wonderful performance of mukkur (mouth harp)
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The nature trail of Mt Arashiyama, Asahikawa
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November is the time for preserving Salmon for winter
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In the Ainu house “cise” keeping the fire going to smoke the salmon
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Host Hisae san always give us warm welcome at the beginning of tour
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In the museum, Hisae san is explaining about iomante, Ainu’s bear ceremony
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Chiefs and ancestors in Kawamura family