Ainu Remains Returned From London Natural History Museum

May 06, 2026 | News On Japan

TOKYO - The remains of Ainu people held at the Natural History Museum in London were returned to Japan, marking the fourth case of repatriation of remains taken overseas.

An Ainu ceremony was held at the museum on May 5th in London, where participants offered prayers for the ancestors.

A formal handover ceremony took place at the museum, attended by representatives from Japan including the chairman of the Hokkaido Ainu Association and Minister in charge of Ainu policy Kiokawada.

The remains returned consisted of seven individuals, including those of an adult discovered in Yakumo, Hokkaido, in 1865, which had been taken abroad and were believed to have been held at the museum for research purposes.

Douglas Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, said: "We are pleased to be able to return the remains, and at the same time we feel a deep sense of responsibility."

Masaru Okawa, chairman of the Hokkaido Ainu Association, said: "It is deeply moving to imagine the feelings of our ancestors who spent so many years in a foreign land where their language was not understood."

The returned remains are scheduled to be placed at a memorial facility within Upopoy, a center dedicated to promoting Ainu culture in Shiraoi, Hokkaido.

This marks the fourth case of remains being returned from overseas, following repatriations from Germany and Scotland in the United Kingdom, bringing the total number returned since 2017 to 15.

Minister Kiokawada emphasized at a press conference after the ceremony that efforts would continue to secure the return of remains still held overseas.

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