Japan 2023. Day 8. The cultures of Hokkaido

We have left the Shiretoko Peninsula and are now following the east coast of Hokkaido to get back to Kushiro.

Our first stop was at the Po-Gawa Natural and Historical Park, where a short walk brought us face to face with yet another wetland formed when yet another post-glacial estuary got filled with sediment. There was yet another wave-cut cliff bounding the wetland. What is significant about this cliff is that on the bluff above it there is a large archaeological site of the Jomon culture. This might be a good place to organize my understanding of the cultures that occupied Hokkaido and the islands of the Sea of Okhtosk. From oldest to youngest:

1. Jomon culture between 15,000 and 500 years ago. These were the first inhabitants of the land, who presumably migrated here from northern Asia. They were hunter-gatherers, but established large camps like at Po-Gaza, where the environment was suitable for large settlements (a bluff with ample space and a river and its fishing resources just down the path). Salmon was an important product, as were seals and mollusks from the nearby ocean.

2. Okhotsk culture moved in 1,000 years ago and “merged” with the Jomon toward the 500 years ago mark. I am convinced these were an Inuit group that moved from the north, bringing with them their knowledge of ice-covered seas, skin boats, and harpoons. They kept to the Kuril Islands side of the territory.

3. Ainu culture moved in 800 years ago and merged with the Jomon and the Okhotsk. As I described a couple of days ago, they are still in Hokkaido, fighting for survival as a cultural group. There is going to be an Ainu pow-wow later in the summer, and the one artisan we spoke with told us she was getting some embroidery of clothes done for the meet. She had a small cylinder of delicately carved wood around her neck, from which she pulled a piece of cloth on which was her needle. Her husband had carved it for her, and because of her age and command of her craft she is the keeper of this precious needle, which probably dates back a century or so, from the time when needles were precious objects imported form far away lands. 

4. The Japanese “Wajin” arrived in Hokkaido 200 years ago, and I cannot say they merged with the Ainu. They had been trading with the Ainu for a couple of hundred years, but when they decided to come to Hokkaido they pretty much took over. I may expand on the history of the Japanese, but for now I will state that the Edo period (the time of the Shoguns) went from 1600 to 1867 AD, a time during which Japan pretty much stayed in the Middle Ages. The Meiji Restoration period followed, from 1867 to 1920, when Japan took over the Koreas and even invaded Russia (1903).

In short, I had a great time looking over the Jomon site, and imagining they would have hosted the gathering of the clans every few years, to share the bounty of their valley, hunt the bear, and harvest the salmon run.

Lunch was farther south, at the Notsuke Peninsula sand spit (not like you spitting sand, but the geologic term for a sand bar that hooks into the lagoon). The lagoon behind the sand spit is locally famous for its shrimp and its scallops. The latter grow to enormous proportions, and the local delicacy is a scallop burger, accompanied by a large glass of cold milk (the coastal plain of Hokkaido is perfect for pasture and dairy cattle). For the burger there is a small ritual to follow: The ingredients are brought to you, together with the instructions on how to put the burger together, layer by layer, and sauce by sauce. The result is, of course, divine.

We spent the afternoon walking down the sand spit. Richard had pulled out his fat book “Birds of Japan”, which might be a nice piece of fiction but is completely false as I had the chance to ascertain. There are no birds in Japan! They have a Silent Spring! Kazu and Richard made feeble attempts to contradict me faking the presence of tiny birds that disappear before you can see them, but I am not fooled; or maybe I am just a grouchy old man who prefers walking the mountains rather than wind-swept piles of sand.

Tonight we stayed in a Ryokan (the equivalent to the Municipal Hostel). It is supposed to be basic service in the small fishing village of Odaito, but as it turns out is positively luxurious (and overheated), with vast public areas, comfy rooms, and the village onsen. They also prepared for us a sumptuous dinner with many small dishes that I will not try to describe (sashimi, broiled scallop, shrimp, fish, tempura, manta-ray, veggies, …). I have by now been corrupted by excellent Japanese cuisine, and cannot imagine what I will do when I am finally alone.