Random picture thread for Friday

APPRECIATING HOKKAIDO JAPAN'S AINU CULTURE

It was an epic post COVID effort that at least virtually welcomed visitors back to Japan just before Japan would once again be open to foreign tourists.

John and Peter, a pair of prominent Japan YouTubers, joined together to produce a Hokkaido Documentary by traveling across Hokkaido by Motorcycle and RV. Their efforts included visits to Ainu villages and Ainu Museums.

Here thanks are offered to contributors who supported the effort. In their remarks one notes that the indoor National Ainu Museum remained closed due to COVID restrictions still in place. They were, however, able to experience the outdoor activities relating to Ainu culture.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRKTztbqlkc

FWIW, the stated above reference to my contributions related to Ainu culture included some materials I had donated to the National Ainu Museum relating to a rare sacred shitoki, one of which I had been able to identify was housed in the museum. Even though John and Peter were not able to go inside to see it, Ironically , as it turned out, one of the outdoor performers was seen wearing a shitoki in the produced documentary.

Here is a link to an edited version of the documentary focusing on the motorcycle riding portion as it was more recently posted on YouTube.

Note the performer wearing a shitoki is seen in the Ainu dance group at 24:50 - 26:10. It is visible as a turquoise beaded necklace with a medallion dangling from it:

Link to the Documentary:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glMY2x36t-Q&t=314s

Pictured below is the entrance to Hokkaido Japan's National Ainu Museum along with the Shitoki that was gifted to my Uncle by the people of Chitose when he left Japan after heading the Occupation Efforts there in Hokkaido. It was given to him in appreciation for his kindnesses to the townspeople in carrying out his Occupation duties and I inherited it from him.

Some of the Ainu related materials I had emailed to John and Peter as they traveled in Hokkaido included the following narrative:

"The Ainu were an indigenous people of Caucasian ancestry who inhabited Hokkaido before the Japanese expanded northward to Hokkaido. It is believed that they had cultural contact with the Alaska Eskimo ( today preferably termed Inuit) peoples although they are not genetically related. Many of their customs and beliefs do seem to have a commonality. For example, like the White-tailed Sea Eagle in Hokkaido, the Raven in Alaska is similarly revered.

Even the language of the Inuit People shares some common terminology. In Japanese the word “Umi” means sea. In the Inuit language, the word for a small open sea going vessel made from stretched skins is an “Umiak.”

A Tamasai is a beaded necklace worn by the Ainu people of Hokkaido on special occasions. In various of their ceremonies it was believed to protect the wearer from evil spirits. When a medallion is attached to the necklace the two together are termed a Shitoki. When the attached medallion is of a White-tailed Sea Eagle it has even added meaning since the White-tailed Sea Eagle was both hunted and revered by the Ainu People.

Stationed in Chitose, my uncle headed the occupation efforts in Hokkaido after World War II. The Japanese people there were so appreciative of his kindness and benevolence that when he left Japan they gave him a special momento, a Tamasai Shitoki. I subsequently inherited it and it is now here with me in Alaska where I reside.

Tamasai are beaded necklaces worn by the Ainu people of Hokkaido on special occasions. As noted above, in various of their ceremonies they are believed to protect the wearer.

The Shitoki medallion represents the White-tailed Sea Eagles that the Ainu hunted. Reportedly the more strands and more beads the more valuable the Tamasai. From the ones I have seen pictured from museums the one given to him appears to be among those so characterized as having more beads and strands. The jade and other beads would have originated from trade with China in past centuries."

@Twobitcollector said:

Spectacular!

Wednesday Afternoon Views:

How many engines does it take to haul a freight train? This one needs locomotives from two different railroads to do the task.

Also captured in this video are Mount Foraker (left ) and Denali (right) peeking up over the distant horizon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih_VjMwD04A

And here are some closer-up views of the two snow and ice covered Mountains Foraker and Denali as they appeared Wednesday Afternoon:

And finally, two of the cars being hauled by the above train.

Wondering what happened to your impounded car?

The "caboose:"