Re-examination and Documentation of the Ainu Collection at Minpaku
Research period: April 2016 – March 2020 / Project for Database Establishment (project period: max. 4 years)
Coordinator SAITO Reiko
Outline
Objectives
The objective of this project is to enhance the existing database of Ainu artifacts owned by the National Museum of Ethnology, Japan (hereinafter, Minpaku), to provide a user-friendly database to those interested in the Ainu culture in Japan and overseas. At the same time, the project aims to clarify how the collection work for the items in the collection (folkcrafts) and the ethnological research of the Ainu culture are interrelated, by analyzing the process by which the collection was assembled.
At present Minpaku owns nearly 5,000 items of Ainu cultural materials. In recent years, interest in Ainu culture has heightened and these items are used by Minpaku staff and also loaned to other institutions. They are used frequently for a specific purpose, such as research or restoration. However, the public database, which contains an overview of the collection or information on individual items within it, is not easily accessible to outsiders.
In this project, we will organize the items in the collection and add information to them, create a classification system that will enable search even without knowing an item’s name, and build a database that will be used by the successors within the Ainu culture, in particular.
Description
The Ainu collection owned by Minpaku contains a considerable number of items collected in a well-planned manner; for example, by commissioning an artifact specifically for an exhibition. However, most items were transferred from different institutions either when Minpaku was established, or were bequeathed to the museum either when former private owner died or through a decision by the bereaved. These items were not collected by Minpaku researchers when studying folkcrafts in production or in use at an Ainu site, but were accepted by Minpaku in bulk at one time. Therefore, information regarding each item is either frequently lacking or insufficient. To make these items fully usable, it is essential to collect information on the former owner or collector, clarify the history of the collection, and add such information to the data on the items.
At the same time, heavy expectation is being placed on the making of a database for public use, in which the successors to, and crafts persons, researchers, and students of the Ainu culture, who wish to study its folkcrafts, diffuse and promote their exhibitions, or restore them in an effort to inherit their craftsmanship, can find the materials together with comprehensive information. In particular, because many stakeholders of the Ainu culture live in Hokkaido and therefore it is difficult for them to conduct research at Minpaku, publication of an accurate database will both facilitate and promote Ainu cultural studies. By making the database interactive, we will also be able to collect information on differences among localities and names of things of each locality, and so forth, which could not be obtained through firsthand research only
This project will follow the process described below:
1) For the entire Ainu collection and materials owned by Minpaku, we will photograph and scan the former owner’s registry, tags, documents associated with the purchase of the item, other related documents and photographs, and information written directly on the item, if such information has not been digitized already;
2) We will cross-check already digitized information with the former owner’s registry, tags, documents associated with the purchase of the item, other related documents and photographs, etc., and either enter or revise the data;
3) If confirmation of the collection point is required, we will conduct fieldwork. If a hearing or an interview with those related to the former owner is required, we will conduct such an interview, inviting the interviewee to Minpaku and examining the item concerned together that person;
4) In parallel, we will organize the name of each item (in Japanese and Ainu), translate it into English, discuss the classification system using OMC information as a reference, and build the contents of the database. While doing so, we will also organize discussion meetings with the intended users of the database, such as the stakeholders and researchers of the Ainu Association of Hokkaido, the Foundation for Research and Promotion of Ainu Culture, among others;
5) We will collate all the information collected through the above processes to create an interactive multilingual database in collaboration with the members of the System Development Working Group of the Info-Forum Museum Committee. We will upload the database in phases from year 2, and keep updating and revising it after it becomes operational; and
6) In the last year of the project, we will organize a symposium for creating a network of Ainu collection information, with the participation of curators and researchers of overseas institutions that own Ainu materials.
Expected results
Note: The results also reveal what kind of database it would be.
Detailed information on the Ainu collection so far unpublished outside Minpaku will become accessible to successors to and researchers and students of the Ainu culture, thereby contributing to the its promotion and research. . The issue of non-unified naming convention, which has prevented users from finding needed materials, will be resolved by an area-of-interest search, and any related materials, may also be picked up in the search to broaden the horizon of the researcher. The database will be usable as a part of the history of Ainu studies, as it will contain information on the background of the collection and the previous collector (owner), in addition to updated information on each item. Moreover, the info-forum-type functionalities will help focus on data requiring correction or addition, thereby contributing to the enhancement and evolution of the database itself as well as the development of our resultant research.
The database will be available not only in Hokkaido but also in areas distant from it thereby enabling access to information on the Ainu collection. Therefore it will be usable for diffusion of and education on the Ainu culture.
Annual Report
Outcomes from 2019
1. The state of the implementation of this year’s research
While operating a trial version of the database, we searched and cross-checked the literature relating to every Ainu material housed at the Minpaku, and worked on inputting/correcting data. We also organized material titles by standardizing the notation and also adding Ainu, English, and Russian language entries. Furthermore, we checked/corrected entries to increase search accuracy, and made improvements to the database display screen and operation.
In addition, we invited researchers from Russian museums that house Ainu-related materials and hosted an international workshop, which was also open to members of the public. Our collaborators, including researchers and staff from Japanese universities, museums, and Ainu-related organizations, joined us in exchanging information on research into Ainu-related material data and the state of data publishing, and discussions on how to build better databases. We also partnered with a Minpaku overseas visiting fellow to trace the footsteps of a Hungarian researcher who carried out ethnographic research and collected materials of the Ainu people about 100 years ago, and presented a report of our findings at the workshop.
2. Overview of the research results (achievements of the research objects)
As stated above, we were able to check and correct database entries in preparation of publishing the database, and through our exchanges and discussions with researchers/students as well as successors of Ainu culture, we were able to consider the ideal forms of information on Ainu materials. Further, regarding old collections that are more than 100 years old, we confirmed the importance of background information on the collection and the collector (former owner) at the international workshop. As a database that allows users to look up such information, we believe the database can also be used as a part of the history of Ainu studies.
3. Records disclosing achievements (publications, public symposia, sectional meetings of academic conferences, electronic media, etc.)
• International workshop (also open to members of the public):
“Re-examination and documentation of the Ainu collection at Minpaku (NME): Database and its active use.”
National Museum of Ethnology (Seminar Room 4), September 15, 2019.
• Oral presentation
Reiko Saito
“Museum activities and the sharing of research findings – with a focus on database compilation of collection materials.” The Anthropological Society of Nippon Open Symposium, “The Ainu People and Museums – Questions from Cultural Anthropology”
Hosei University Ichigaya Campus, Fujimi Gate Building (Room G401), January 26, 2020
Outcomes from 2018
1. The state of the implementation of this year’s research
We continued to enter or revise the data on all Ainu materials owned by Minpaku as basic information of the database by cross-checking it with related literature based on the existing database on detailed sample materials (internal version). Simultaneously, associated parts of the literature were digitalized. Additionally, an original classification system was established by referring to the “Classified Catalog for the Materials Owned by the Historical Museum of Hokkaido 1 Ethnic Groups” (Hokkaido Museum now), which enabled users who are not familiar with the database to search easily for required materials. Simultaneously, the material titles were organized to unify the notation systems, and almost all Ainu and English titles were added.
In addition, together with joint researchers, we conducted a careful review of specific materials (woven bags called saranip for this year) to add further information. We studied the housed artifacts with Ainu craftsmen, hearing information from them.
We also had discussions with researchers and staff from external universities, museums and Ainu-related organizations as joint researchers for the improvement of the database from time- -to- time based on the progress; while having meetings for the symposium to be held next year.
2. Overview of the research results (achievements of the research objects)
As mentioned above, we collected and checked information this year also. We digitalized the collected literature referring to the sample materials while revising and additionally entering the information on when and where, which was unknown in the existing database. We also unified the notation systems for material titles, and added their Ainu and English titles.
Further, we conducted a careful review of woven bags (saranip ) with joint researchers, which resulted in the addition of new information on the techniques used and raw materials. We also collected information on sample materials from Ainu craftsmen.
3. Records disclosing achievements (publications, public symposia, sectional meetings of academic conferences, electronic media, etc.)
Outcomes from 2017
1. The state of the implementation of this year’s research
Continuing from the last fiscal year, we searched for documents and other materials related to all items in the Ainu collection of Minpaku as the basic information for the database, verified such documents with the information in the existing detailed database of artifact collections (for internal use), and continue to input and revise data. We continued the digitization of relevant sections of the documents.
Among the relevant documents, we organized texts from Naigai Dozokuhin Zushuu (a collection of pictures of domestic and foreign folk custom items) listing 1,000 items from the collection formerly held by the Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Science, The University of Tokyo (Hounsha; 1938-39) for trial release in the museum.
Additionally, we conducted detailed reviews of specific artifacts (“emus at” (sword sashes) and “tar” (carry straps) for the current fiscal year) with inter-university project researchers to add more information.
We examined improvements that should be done using the current database of clothing-related collections with cooperation of the craftspeople sent by the Ainu Association of Hokkaido.
Furthermore, we selected Ainu names for artifacts from recent documents such as the pictorial records of crafts exhibitions of the Foundation for Research and Promotion of Ainu Culture to prepare for Ainu language translation.
In addition, we held discussions to develop a useful database considering the progress with members of universities, other museums, and organizations related to Ainu serving as inter-university project researchers.
2. Overview of the research results (achievements of the research objects)
As described above, we continued to collect and verify information in the current fiscal year and made corrections and additions of information such as years and regions that had not been recorded in the existing database. We collected and digitized documents describing the artifacts.
We also conducted detailed reviews of “emus at” (sword sashes) and “tar” (carry straps) with the inter-university project researchers. We were able to add new information related to techniques and materials.
Additionally, we were able to investigate and examine the factors demanded for a database of materials related to clothing with craftspeople assigned by the Ainu Association of Hokkaido.
3. Records disclosing achievements (publications, public symposia, sectional meetings of academic conferences, electronic media, etc.)
“Possibility of Reinvestigation from Former Owners (tentative)” Minpaku Tsushin [Minpaku News Letter] No. 159 (scheduled to be issued in March 2018)
Outcomes from 2016
1. The state of the implementation of this year’s research
We worked on data input and correction by collating all Ainu objects owned by the National Museum of Ethnology (Minpaku) with the data books of former owners, purchase documents and related literature based on the information in the existing detailed database (internal version) for the objects, in order to organize the basal information of a database. During this process, we scanned non-digitalized data books of former owners, purchase documents and related literature. For the approximately 200 objects previously owned by the late-Moriyuki KAIZAWA, located in Nibutani, Biratori-cho, about which almost no previous information has been recorded, we conducted an inspection survey of the objects at Minpaku together with invited family members.
We prepared digital texts of “Naigai dozokuhin zushu” (“Illustrated Book of Domestic and Overseas Folk Articles”) (Supervised by Kotondo HASEBE, Edited by the Anthropological Society of Tokyo, and published by Hounsha in 1938-1939), where 1,000 objects (not only from the Ainu but from all over the world) of the Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Sciences, The University of Tokyo are introduced, because some of its detailed information was not input into the internal version of the detailed database for artifacts.
In addition, as preparation for the English translation, we selected English names of the objects from the related literature.
We also held discussions with researchers and staff members of outside universities, museums, and Ainu-related organizations, all participating Inter-University Project Researchers, so as to create a useful database.
2. Overview of the research results (achievements of the research objects)
As mentioned above, in this fiscal year we proceeded with the collection of basal information, correction of the existing database, and inputting of additional information, as preparatory work for the establishment of a database. We collected the literature on our objects when scanning the material..
For the approximately 200 objects previously owned by the late-Moriyuki KAIZAWA, on which had almost no information has been recorded, we conducted an inspection survey at Minpaku together with invited family members (his wife and children). From this we obtained information on the producers of the objects, and when and how the objects were produced and collected.
We have almost completed the preparatory work planned for the first year.
3. Records disclosing achievements (publications, public symposia, sectional meetings of academic conferences, electronic media, etc.)
None as outcomes.
For an overview, please refer to the article “For Utilization of Ainu Objects” “Minpaku Tsushin [“Minpaku News Letter”] 155:10-11.