Ureshipa Chise is Shiranuka Town’s center for Ainu cultural activities. It was built at the bottom of Higashiyama Park, where a memorial monument has been erected for the Ainu. Ureshipa means “to grow together” and Chise, “house”; the facility serves as a place to preserve and transmit Ainu culture and traditions, to promote cultural and international exchanges as well as to provide information, in order to help people gain a better understanding of Ainu culture.
Ceremony room
Performance of Ainu traditional rituals.
Seminar room
Various activities, such as Ainu patterns embroidery, rimse (dance), or mukkuri (mouth harp) performances, are offered to experience and deepen the visitors’ understanding of Ainu culture.
Exhibition corner
Display of instruments used during rites and festivals, as well as costumes and wood carving.
Kitchen
Preparation of food during traditional rituals and organisation of Ainu cooking class.
Shop/contact: Shiranuka Ureshipa Chise (Higashi 3 jo kita 1 chome 2-27, Shiranuka-cho, phone: 01547-2-5668)
“Happiness Postcards”
Set of 3 postcards: “Kotan-kor-kamuy protecting Shiranuka and the chise’s sacred window”, “Kotan-kor-kamuy on
a moonlight night”, and “Dugout canoe ascending into the sky”.
1 set at 300 yens (tax included)
A4 size document folder illustrated with “Dugout canoe ascending into the sky”
The document folder’s illustration is based on Ureshipa Chise’s monument “Dugout canoe ascending into the sky”
and the associated tale.
200 yens (tax included)
T-shirt “Ureshipa Chise Kamuy”
Original T-shirt illustrated with Ainu patterns and the design “Dugout canoe ascending to the sky”,
representing Ureshipa Chise monument.
Available in 6 colours: navy blue, burgundy, purple, moss green, blue, fluorescent orange
Sizes: M, L, LL, 3L
2,500 yens per unit (tax included)
Apron “Ureshipa Chise Kamuy”
Apron with Ainu patterns
Available in 5 colours: navy blue, burgundy, moss green, coffee, pink
One-size-fits-all
2,500 yens per unit (tax included)
Comment from Ms ISOBE Etsuko, vice-president of Shiranuka Ainu Association and president of
Shiranuka Ainu Culture Preservation Society:
“Many Ainu cooking lessons are now taking place at Ureshipa Chise. The instructors, who are also members of
our association, wear this apron. When visiting our Ureshipa Chise, you can buy it as a souvenir. I would be
happy if it could
serve as a promotion tool for Shiranuka Town.”
