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FEATURE｜Akan Yukara "Lost Kamuy" is a stage where Ainu culture and digital art intersect.

Akan Yukara "Lost Kamuy" is a stage where Ainu culture and digital art intersect.

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A stage where Ainu culture and digital art intersect,
Akan Yukara "Lost Kamuy".

They have their own language, bear and deer meat is served on their tables, and they believe that gods reside in all things.... The culture of the Ainu, the indigenous people of Japan, is probably unknown to many Japanese. However, in Hokkaido, the land of the Ainu, there are still many Ainu people living in Hokkaido, and they continue to pass on their culture. The Ainu people are once again in the limelight thanks to the success of the manga series, and a remarkable stage production has unexpectedly opened in the town of Akan, Hokkaido. It is called "Lost Kamuy. This work, centered on an ancient Ainu dance, is not merely a historical tradition, but has been sublimated into a cutting-edge entertainment by a leading contemporary creator. How did the Ainu people, who respect their traditions, and the creators, who are ahead of their time, come together to create "Lost Kamuy"? We will unravel the story of "Lost Kamuy" based on the stories of its production team.

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The main characters in "Lost Kamuy" are,
Holokeukamui is a special entity for the Ainu people.

Prayers for success were made in the Ainu style on the occasion of the first day of the performance.

Japan's indigenous Ainu people have built their own culture since the Jomon Period. They developed by trading with Honshu and mainland China, using marine products and wild animal pelts as their specialties.

The most important aspect of Ainu culture is its ideology. They believe that everything in nature, including fire, water, and moving food, is worshipped as kamui (gods), and by extension, even the tools of daily life are inhabited by kamui. Before meals, especially long prayers are offered to show gratitude to nature.

The Ainu people mainly live in Hokkaido. The largest Ainu village in Hokkaido is located in Akan Town in the eastern part of Hokkaido. The largest of these kotans is located in the town of Akan, in the eastern part of Hokkaido, and is home to many facilities designed to promote Ainu culture and pass it on to future generations. Lost Kamuy" is performed only at this place.

The theme of this film is the coexistence of the Horokeukamui (Ezo wolf), which became extinct during the Meiji era, and the Ainu people. The mixture of technological images, music, and ancient dances such as the Upopo (Ainu song) and Rimuse (dance in a circle) creates an extremely modern and highly artistic work that is more than just a cultural inheritance.

Behind the scenes of "Lost Kamuy" as told by its splendid creators.

Lost Kamuy" is an intertwining of Ainu culture, digital art, sound design, dance, and many other elements. The reason why this work has been described as "a stage unlike any other" is because of the involvement of up-and-coming creators. How did they digest Ainu culture and incorporate it into the stage? Here is an interview with each creator.

CREATOR.1Daisuke Sakamoto, Creative Director

Daisuke Sakamoto

Profile

Belongs to JTB Communication Design. He is a copywriter, planner and creative director. He mainly works on branding and advertising for artists.

First of all, please tell us why you decided to create "Lost Kamuy".

Sakamoto.This July, a night walk based on the Kamuy Yukara (an epic poem of the Ainu oral culture) called "KAMUY LUMINA" will begin in the Lake Akan Forest. I am the creative director of the Japanese side of the project, and the Ainu Crafts Cooperative was trying to link the two programs with the traditional dance program that was previously performed at the Lake Akan Ainu Theater "Ikoro".

How was the storyline for this work decided?

Sakamoto.I did not come up with the story by myself, but through discussions with the Ainu people in Akan. As a result, I decided to use the Ezo wolf, the most revered of the Kamui (gods) that the Ainu people respect, as the pillar.

In this film, dancer KARIN plays the role of the Ezo wolf.

Sakamoto.The Ezo wolf is already extinct, but I heard from the Ainu people that human influence had a great impact. The immigrants from Honshu exterminated the Ezo wolves. This is not something to be welcomed, and this was one of the reasons I wanted to use the Ezo wolf as a subject.

What is the most important message you want to convey in "Lost Kamuy"?

Sakamoto.The Ainu and the Ezo wolf had a symbiotic relationship, but immigration destroyed that relationship and eventually made them extinct. I hope that people will learn about the culture and relationship associated with it, and that it will help them learn more about the Ainu people of Akan.

CREATOR.2Photographer Nagi Yoshida

Nagi Yoshida.

Profile

He has photographed ethnic minorities in Africa and around the world. He is highly regarded for the colors he produces and his one-of-a-kind way of life, and has appeared in numerous TV programs, magazines, and other media.

It was a very striking visual, but where was it filmed?

reed warbler (esp. the great reed warbler, but also the black-browed reed warbler)This is Lake Akan in January. As in Africa or anywhere else, the time of day is one hour after the sun rises and one hour before the sun sets. The day of the shoot was blessed with good weather, and the yellow light reflections in the main cut were fantastic.

Visuals shot by Yoshida for "Lost Kamuy".

Please tell us about any difficulties you encountered during the filming.

reed warbler (esp. the great reed warbler, but also the black-browed reed warbler)This is not a hardship story, but it was cold during the shoot. But I was behind the scenes, so I was able to put on clothes even if it was cold, but the models were limited in how much they could put on due to their costumes. Even so, they cooperated with me without changing their expressions, which was very helpful.

The outfits worn by the models were also eye-catching.

reed warbler (esp. the great reed warbler, but also the black-browed reed warbler)Mr. Toko, who was the director of the ancient dance, called out to all the Utari (fellow Ainu) in the province, and they searched for pre-Meiji Ainu costumes. Among them was a pair of shoes made of salmon skin, which really struck me. There was a reason why they went to the trouble of making them out of salmon skin, and they were completely waterproof to keep socks dry even in winter. I was impressed by the wisdom that went into making these shoes.

CREATOR.3Shusei Toko, Director of Traditional Dance

Mr. Shusei Toko

Profile

Lives and works in Akanko Onsen. As the stage director of the Lake Akan Ainu Theater "Ikoro," he conveys the feelings of the ancient Ainu dance that has been passed down for many years through modern dance and digital art.

Mr. Tokoro, you yourself are of Ainu descent. Please tell us about the relationship between Akan and the Ainu people.

floorOriginally, a landowner in Akan leased land to the Ainu people free of charge and helped them build a kotan (village) so that they could do business on their own. The Ainu people came from all over the area, and Akan was born. So you could say that Akan is a hybrid land where various values are mixed together.

Ainu Kotan is located in the hot spring resort town of Akan. The gate is decorated with an owl, which is believed to be the kamui that protects the village.

What are your thoughts on "Lost Kamuy"?

floorNormally, the name of the performance would have been in Ainu, but instead we chose "Lost Kamuy," which is also in English, keeping in mind the "communion" that was the background of the Akan region.

We are not trying to take the high road with this performance. We wanted to make it fun and exciting for everyone. So, although we raise some issues in the play, at the end everyone who sees it will be happy. I can say that with confidence.

I had an image that the Ainu community was closed, but that is not true.

floorI think this is especially true for the community of Akan. In "Lost Kamuy," there is a scene where everyone dances in a circle, and I welcome non-Ainu Japanese and foreigners alike, as long as they have respect for the Ainu people. I would be happy if such a circle could expand to the younger generation.

Performers and audience become one on stage for the finale.

CREATOR.4Kosuke Oho, Video Director

Kosuke Oho

Profile

Creative director of visual design studio "WOW inc.", focusing on CG and VFX, and producing and directing high-quality 3DCG images for movies, TV dramas, commercials, and events.

It must have been very difficult to make images of the Ezo wolf, which has become extinct.

Yo!We had very little material (laughs). (Laughs). So, I created the work based on the few old photographs I had and the opinions of the Ainu people.

What were some of the innovations you made in the way of expressing the Ezo wolf?

The Ezo wolf is fantastically depicted in the play.

Yo!Initially, a realistic Ezo wolf was requested, but I suggested that we make it a fantasy. By doing so, we left room for people who saw "Lost Kamui" to develop their own image of the Ezo wolf as Kamui. We wanted to keep it beautiful and easy for the viewer to accept. So I hope you will enjoy the film with this in mind.

CREATOR.5Choreographer, UNO

UNO3

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A dancer with outstanding skills and imagination, she is active in a wide range of fields. She has also worked as a back-up dancer for Namie Amuro, EXILE, and others.

The traditional dances and contemporary choreography were fresh. Especially the Ezo wolf played by KARIN.

UNOSince there was no video footage to reference, I asked myself, "Isn't this how a Yezo wolf moves when it transforms into a god?" "Isn't this the kind of tension you feel when chasing after a Yezo deer? I created the dance based on these sensations and images. I then added sounds and images to the dances.

In "Hutarechui" (meaning "dance of the black hair" in Ainu language) and "Emusirimuse" (meaning "sword dance" in Ainu language), very little was done to the original. This is because the original itself is so complete that we did not want to add any strange embellishments.

The most fantastic scene in the play, with Emusirimse in the foreground and Upopo performed in the background.

What were some of the difficulties you encountered?

UNOIt was very easy to work with the Ainu people because we were able to connect with them not through words, but through the communication tool of dance.

However, Ainu dance is basically composed only of hand clapping and voices, but in "Lost Kamuy" Kuniyuki's sounds are included. So I had a hard time thinking how to keep the old and the new together while preserving the good old.

CREATOR.6Kuniyuki Takahashi, Sound Designer

Kuniyuki Takahashi

Profile

A DJ based in Sapporo, Hokkaido, his music with a unique world view has been highly acclaimed by producers and DJs from all over the world.

Did you have an immediate idea of the direction you wanted the music to take?

KuniyukiWe started from zero in terms of video, dance, and music, so there was a lot of exploration. But, for example, when I looked at Nagi Yoshida's photographs, I felt the "visible sound," and I guess I incorporated those aspects into the work.

Did you also sample the natural sounds of Akan?

KuniyukiWe went into the forest in early fall, before the snow fell, and made field recordings of bird sounds. The timing of the recording was also very fun to do, as it was full of ideas and improvisation.

Also, since they are extinct, the sound of the Ezo wolf walking cannot be recorded. Still, it is necessary in the play. One day, the film team and I were paddling through the snow to record the sound of the river. I was rowing in the snow with my film team to record the sound of the river, and I heard a rustling sound as my clothes rubbed against the snow. This sound was close to the sound of the Ezo wolf walking, and we decided to use it.

We use a variety of sounds in the play. So, I think one of the pleasures of watching the play is to think about what these sounds are.

New attempts by the Akan and Ainu communities will continue in the future.

In 2008, the Ainu were recognized as an indigenous people of Japan; in February 2019, the Cabinet approved a new bill to support Ainu cultural heritage and tourism, and the dignity of indigenous peoples is being reassessed in Japan.

Lost Kamuy" is pure entertainment that can be enjoyed while also taking into account the background of the times. It will be performed at the Lake Akan Ainu Theater "Ikoro" until March 2020.

In July, "KAMUY LUMINA," a night walk by Canada's "Moment Factory," will also be held at Lake Akan. This is a program that allows visitors to experience the world of the Ainu people through sound, light, and images, just as good as the "Lost Kamuy" program. Please check it out as well.

INFORMATION

Lost Kamui

www.akanainu.jp/lostkamuy

TAG
#ainu
#lost kamuy
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