Interview with Koji Yuki, the leader of Ainu Art Project
This interview by Satomi Kondo supports part of the vision of Voices, stated as “Because culture has an important role in music and music therapy, we will encourage contributions that find their source in the cultural influences of each continental region” and continues “The forum … intends to foster an exchange between Western and Eastern as well as Northern and Southern approaches to the art and science of music therapy.”
I am pleased to be associated with Voices and to be able to help in working toward this vision. This interview with Koji Yuki telling about the Ainu and the Ainu Art Project reminds me of my experiences with the people who are now called Native Americans but who were called Indians when I was growing up. I was raised in Sheridan, Wyoming, a town with a large number of Native Americans. It was the home of All-American Indian Days, which I believe began in the 1950s and apparently continued through 1980. In spite of the number and visibility of Native Americans in my home town, I had no interaction with any of them (or indeed, with anyone who had a different background than I did). As I embrace the Voices vision of helping people to learn about other cultural traditions I find myself interested in many aspects of culture, and I wonder if I would now be this open to the culture of the Native Americans with whom I grew up. Of course, there is no way to go back and re-live these days. I can only live in the present and, in this time, I am very glad to be able to read and learn about the Ainu culture and its relationship to others in the Japanese culture. Thank you to Koji Yuki and Satomi Kondo for bringing this to us.
Barbara L. Wheeler, Voices Interview Co-Editor
Introduction
What do you know about Japan? Sushi? Onsen? Geisha? I am wondering if you know that we have many islands and different races. We also have indigenous people called Ainu. Ainu means "human" in the Ainu language.
Four years ago, I came to live in Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan that is the land of Ainu People. I came here with little knowledge of the Ainu People. Since then, I have learned peculiar names for places that are mostly from the Ainu language. Actually, the first Ainu word that I learned was "Kamui," which means Gods. A deeply spiritual culture, the Ainu People believe that all the things are "Kamui," Gods visiting the earthly world.
In early September, the 7th Japanese Music Therapy Conference was held in Hokkaido. With the conference theme "Conversation between Music and Human," we invited lecturers from various fields hoping to deepen our understanding of the power of music. The Ainu Art Project was one of the lectures [or topics]. I am very happy to share an insightful interview with Koji YUKI, the leader of Ainu Art Project.
The Conversation
Satomi: Please tell me how you have come to the Ainu Art Project.
Koji: I was born in Hokkaido as an Ainu. During my childhood, discrimination against the Ainu took many forms. So, I did not like to be Ainu at all. I left home early for Tokyo hoping to have nothing to do with the Ainu. However, I could not escape from a burning question of who I am. When I heard that the Ainu People were building "Itaomachibu", Ainu"s traditional wooden ship, I came back to Hokkaido to join. While building the ship with friends young and old, I felt at home. I was deeply grateful for learning the wisdom of our ancestors. I enjoyed picturing us going to an open sea in this special ship.
However, the ship was actually sent to a museum. I was shocked. I was deeply sad to see the ship leaving our hands without even touching the ocean of our land. Our ship became a showpiece. I felt that the ship was dead not alive. At that moment, I asked myself again, "Who am I?" My response was "I am Ainu, not dead. I am living in this modern society." I did not want our culture to become only "good and old." I did not want our identity represented as a souvenir for tourists. I really wanted to carry our voices and expressions as Ainu from our generation. In 2000, three of us who worked together building the ship formed an artist group called the Ainu Art Project.
Satomi: I am wondering about "art." Do you have any thoughts on "art"?
Koji: Well ...actually, I could not find a word that means "art" in the Ainu language. The sound of "art" in English somehow fit my idea. I have an image of "art" as a door everyone could touch and feel. "Art" also sounds mystical, and that would lead us into a deeper world where we could reach our soul and understand that we are different AND we are one at the same time. It seems strange that we do not have a word "art." But if we think of Ainu traditions, all the things we do and we are considered "art." Art is deeply embedded in life. I want to believe that an expression was unnecessary.
Actually, we do not even have the word "music" in our language. For Ainu People, music is not a tool or means to communicate with Gods. Rather, music is the existence of Gods and to feel Gods. It is very difficult to explain it in words...our doing music is to touch the existence of a [or the?] God of sound. Therefore, Ainu people consider music as sacred. At the same time, Ainu People are not shy about doing music. We could sing and dance wildly because of a sense of being together with Gods.
Satomi: How about "project"? Would you please tell me what you mean by "project"?
Koji: Everyone is considered to be an artist. Three of us would also like to be artists who keep inspiring each other. "Project" does not mean a product, rather an ongoing process of creating things by offering each person"s artistic resource. Three of us started the group, but we now have more friends and families in our group. Because of such a rich resource pool, our project keeps expanding towards the revitalization of Ainu through various art activities such as music, visual art, story telling, etc...
It is sad to say that many people, even those who were born in Hokkaido, did not know about the Ainu. We started visiting schools and talk to persons from kindergarten to university. It was my fear that our kids were going to school with the name of Ainu that is still labeled as "minority." I did not want our kids going through the same horrible experience that I had experienced in my childhood. Understanding seems indispensable.
Satomi: Would you please share your philosophy behind the group?
Koji: I was getting disgusted with having connected to our own culture by saying that something is always insufficient. In other words, I began to get sick and tired of considering things only by about subtraction. I do not believe that meaningful things are not created by subtraction. I do not believe that dignity comes from complaint. Instead, I want to offer such richness that we have as Ainu. I want those in the world to be able to share something special to each other. Of course, art is one of them.
It seems that we all are searching keys for our survival as humane. Including myself, many people tend to look back to find the wisdom left behind us. We became more and more conscious of nature and/or something invisible. A fortunate thing for the Ainu is that our life has been with nature and nature has been there immediately. In other words, our life has been with Gods and Gods are every where. All we need is to be aware and utilize our imagination. To be aware and to imagine the invisible are the core of our culture. In this way, music could play a very important role for survival because music asks us to be aware and integrate our whole body. Also, music stimulates our imagination that is limitless. Of course, as Ainu living in a modern world like today, I sway between accepting and refusing Ainu. But that is all right as long as I remember to come back to the core of our culture. I am glad that I now have something to come back to.
Satomi: Finally, please tell me the future of the project if any.
Koji: Yes. As the same time as the G8 summit here in Hokkaido next July, we are planning to hold an indigenous summit on a citizen level by especially inviting indigenous peoples throughout Asia. We are looking forward to sharing our resource through arts.
Closing
As well as many other indigenous peoples in the world, Ainu People have suffered from deprivation of their land, culture, and language. While the Culture Promotion Law protects the Ainu language and culture, Ainu are still struggling for their rights as indigenous peoples. As of October 2007, the Japanese government only recognizes Ainu People as an ethnic minority and does not accept them as indigenous peoples.
