Redressing injustice of the past: the repatriation of Ainu human remains

Abstract

This article addresses the controversies surrounding the repatriation of Ainu human remains ‘unethically’ collected by Japanese researchers and stored in university institutions throughout the twentieth century. Some 1653 Ainu remains are held at Japanese universities, and Ainu rights advocates have demanded the return of these remains to their lineal descendants. In 2009, the Japanese government proposed to transfer all unidentified Ainu remains from universities to a memorial hall to be built in Shiraoi, Hokkaido, by 2020. This plan was met by disdain by Ainu advocates for two reasons. First: there was concern that Japanese academics would continue to do research on the remains. Second: the Ainu wished for the remains to be laid to rest in the burial grounds they were originally excavated from. This article discusses the repatriation policies initiated by the Japanese national government, how Ainu representatives have responded, and the ethical debate that surrounds the use of the Ainu remains for research. The article closes by looking at how the conciliation agreement in the legal case by Ainu plaintiffs against Hokkaido University in 2012 for the return of Ainu remains opened up possibilities for community members to petition for the return of ancestral remains for reinternment.

Keywords:

• Ainu
• human remains
• redress
• repatriation
• research ethics
• indigenous policies

Acknowledgements

I greatly appreciate individuals who participated in interviews, two anonymous reviewers for constructive suggestions, Bill Mihalopoulos and Jason Kovacs for their great editorial assistance, and the editor for guidance.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. CPAP minutes are available in Japanese at: http://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/singi/ainusuishin/meetings.html (accessed on 26 October 2017). The latest minutes available are from the meeting on 23 March 2017. Those from 21 April and 6 October meetings were not available at of the end of October 2017.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Naohiro Nakamura

Naohiro Nakamura is at the School of Geography, Earth Science and Environment, Faculty of Science, Technology and Environment, The University of the South Pacific, Laucala Campus Private Bag, Suva, Fiji. He may be contacted at [email protected].