HOKKAIDO, JAPAN
LIFE LESSONS FROM THE AINU PEOPLEMarginalised since the late 1800s, the indigenous
Ainu people from the northern region of the Japanese
archipelago, were finally granted legal status in Japan in- But while the country’s new Ainu Promotion Act
recognises and bans discrimination against the Ainu
— who now reside mainly on Hokkaido, Japan’s wildly
scenic and northernmost main island — it does little to
directly help them, indigenous activists say. That could
change in the future, however, as more Japanese and
international visitors travel to Hokkaido to learn about
Ainu culture at Upopoy, the new National Ainu Museum
and Park complex, opened in 2020.
Upopoy has a pressing, three-pronged mission:
promote, revitalise and expand Ainu culture before it
becomes extinct. Particularly at risk is the Ainu language,
which is unrelated to Japanese or any other language, and
is considered critically endangered by UNESCO. Listening
to conversational Ainu and playing games to learn
pronunciation are part of the new museum’s permanent
exhibition. Visitors can also discover the timely
sustainable living lessons of the Ainu, whose spiritual
beliefs are rooted in respect and gratitude for nature. After
visiting Upopoy, drive 30 minutes southwest and soak in
nature at Noboribetsu Onsen, one of Hokkaido’s best hot
springs resorts, set in Shikotsu-Toya National Park.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL (US)
OSLO, NORWAY
VISIT THE REVAMPED NORDIC CAPITALFjord City, an urban renewal project reimagining
Oslo’s waterfront, is making the city’s cultural sites
and scenic, 62-mile-long Oslofjord more accessible
to all. The massive transformation, set to be finished
by 2030, has so far moved highways underground
and repurposed industrial sites to create a seamless
transition between the city and the fjord. A pedestrian-
and wheelchair-friendly promenade stretches nearly
six miles along the new-look harbourside, which is
bookended by the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern
Art to the west and the Oslo Opera House to the east,
where visitors can walk on the sloped roof to look out
over the water.
In between is a wealth of culture: art galleries,
historic sites, parks, performance venues, multiple
museums — including the Nobel Peace Center — and
even a floating sauna. The newest gems in Oslo’s
cultural cache are two of Norway’s best and biggest: the
Munch Museum, opened in October 2021, housing the
world’s largest collection of works by the Norwegian
painter, best-known for The Scream; and the sleek, new
National Museum, opening June 2022, which, with 13
acres of floor space, is the largest cultural centre in any
Nordic country. It’s also where you can see the best-
known version of The Scream, created in 1893.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL (US)Culture & history
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