Kitahara Jirōta Mokottunas

Associate professor since 2010 at the Hokkaidō University Center for Ainu and Indigenous Studies. Born in Tokyo in 1976. His grandmother was an Ainu from Sakhalin, and his parents were involved in the establishment of the Kantō Utari Association, so he encountered cultural revival activities while he was growing up. Became interested in Sakhalin varieties of Ainu language and culture from conversations with his grandmother, Oda Toonintemah, at the age of 13. Completed his doctorate at Chiba University. Researches regional variations in the shapes and meanings of Ainu inau ritual sticks and commonalities with surrounding cultures. Works include Ainu no saigu: Inau no kenkyū (Ainu Ritual Utensils: Research on Inau) and the jointly authored Hana to inau: Sekai no naka no Ainu bunka (Flowers and Inau: Ainu Culture in the World). Has worked at The Ainu Museum since 2005. His Japanese name is Kitahara Jirōta.

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May 4, 2020