Chapter 7
Dividing Space, Creating Barriers
In the early 20th century, visitors to the Ainu village of Shiraoi in Hokkaido were greeted by Ainu tour guides at the Shiraoi train station, who would then bring visitors by foot to the nearby village. "In 1917 a series of illustrated vignettes describing a visit to the Shiraoi Ainu village was published in the Yomiuri newspaper. According to the reports, when visitors alighted at the train station, a sign reading “Former Aborigine Information Center” directed them to the tour guide who would take them to the village." (Lost Histories, p. 313).
Left “Ainu sightseeing (1) Toward the village from Shiraoi station.” Credit: Yomiuri, August 25, 1917. (Corresponds with Lost Histories, p. 313, footnote 21). Right: “Ainu sightseeing (6) Shiraoi kotan Ishii Kiyoshi.” Credit: Yomiuri, September 3, 1917. (Corresponds with Lost Histories, p. 313, footnote 24).
Kumasaka Shitappire was one of the first leaders in Shiraoi in the late 19th and early 20th centuries who helped create a tourist industry based on viewing Ainu artifacts and chise. Left, the postcard identifies the man pictured as Nomura Ekashitoku but “Kumasaka Shitapikure” is written on it. Personal collection. Right, Shitappire pictured in front of his nusa (shrine). Personal Collection. (Corresponds with Lost Histories, p. 317, footnote 37).
Left, postcard of KaizawaTōzō in front of his house. The sign at the top has his name. Credit: Public domain. https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/貝澤藤蔵#/media/File:貝澤藤蔵2.jpg (last accessed May 21, 2021). (Corresponds with Lost Histories, p. 322, footnote 49.) Postcard on the right, is a mix of young "modern" Ainu alongside more traditionally dressed ekashi (elders). Personal Collection. (Corresponds with Lost Histories, p. 322, footnote 50.)
All three photographs purchased from ebay by the author. The first two photographs are souvenir photographs. The photo on the right, is a press photograph of Miyamoto Ekashimatoku's visit to SCAP headquarters in Tokyo on October 23, 1947. Personal Collection. First two photographs correspond with Lost Histories, p. 327, footnote 57 and third photograph corresponds with Lost Histories, p. 333, footnote 73.
