When the Forest and Lake Give Back Their Voices: The Akan Eco-museum Weaves a Story of Nature and Ainu Culture Regeneration (1980s-2000s)

When the Forest and Lake Give Back Their Voices: The Akan Eco-museum Weaves a Story of Nature and Ainu Culture Regeneration (1980s-2000s)
In the 1990s, Lake Akan Onsen was at a time when Japan's tourism industry was shifting from mass mobilization to sustainability, and both nature conservation and cultural heritage were being questioned. After the war, Lake Akan developed into a tourist destination that prospered from its hot springs and sightseeing boats, but environmental impacts were accumulating, including the preservation of marimo, deterioration of the lake's water quality, and the decline of its virgin forests. At the same time, there was a growing sense of crisis in the community that the essence of Ainu culture was being lost as Ainu dances and crafts were being staged for the sake of tourism. Against this backdrop, the Akanko-Kohan Eco Museum Center was built in an effort to shift tourism from consuming beautiful scenery to understanding and coexisting with nature and culture. The existing visitor center was renovated and reconstructed in the late 1990s and 2000s as a living museum to introduce the h
istory of the lake created by the volcano, the connection of the ecosystem, and the activities of the marimo, a special natural treasure. Through nature observation and snowshoeing tours, a system was also put in place for visitors to experience the lake and the forest as a dialogue partner. Furthermore, Ainu culture was redefined as a local idea rather than a tourism product, and a new eco-museum image was created that integrates nature and culture by incorporating the Ainu view of nature and oral literature into the exhibitions and guides. Akan's efforts became a pioneering example in Japan of how to balance tourism and the environment.