Associate Professor, the Center for Ainu and Indigenous Studies, Hokkaido University
Working to make archaeology relevant to the Indigenous Ainu of northern Japan is IPinCH Associate Scholar and Hokkaido University professor Hirofumi Kato. The Ainu were officially recognized as Indigenous peoples by the Japanese government in 2008, marking a new chapter in their long history. In 2004 Hirofumi established a new model of collaborative research in Japan when he initiated a community-based archaeology program with the Ainu of Shiretoko Peninsula, an ecologically significant UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hirofumi is the co-ordinator of Hokkaido University’s Ainu Ethnohistory and Indigenous Archaeology Project, as well as its Indigenous Education Program. Hirofumi’s work in intellectual property issues and cultural heritage management in Japan and the Sakalin Peninsula of Russia merge with those of the IPinCH project, and add to its geographic scope. He has also published extensively on his work in Siberia on topics such as technology, cultural transitions, and migrations. Hirofumi is optimistic that connecting to IPinCH’s expertise will lead to benefits for Ainu cultural property rights.