Yasuko Uetake (Japanese: 上武やす子, née Yasuko Muromura, 26 November 1934 – 16 March 2024) is an embroidery artist and Ainu cultural activist from Japan. She was born in Muroran, Hokkaido, and became a prominent figure in the preservation and promotion of the Ainu culture in Noboribetsu, being active in the Noboribetsu Branch of the Hokkaido Utari Association, the Club for Talking about Mashiho Chiri, and the Women's Society for Learning and Inheriting the Ainu Culture. As a self-taught but accomplished Ainu embroidery artist, she created various works in Ainu traditional clothing, trained younger artists in embroidery seminars, and taught other Ainu cultural traditions including dancing.

Early life

Yasuko Uetake was born as Yasuko Muromura in Motomuroran (currently part of Sakimoricho), Muroran, Hokkaido, on 26 November 1934.[1][2][3] Her mother died when she was one-and-a-half years old, but she was raised by her father, grandmother, and siblings.[4] In her school days, she suffered from verbal abuses about her Ainu heritage, but she resisted discrimination with determination.[4] After graduating from Muroran Bunka Fashion College, she got married in 1960, and moved to Horobetsu (currently part of Noboribetsu).[2][5]

Cultural activism

In the late 1970s, Yasuko started her activism as an Ainu, triggered by the Noboribetsu Branch of the Hokkaido Utari Association’s criticism toward the mayor of Noboribetsu, who had built a tomb for himself by destroying Ainu graves.[4] For 6 years from 1985, she worked as an Ainu living consultant in the Noboribetsu Branch of the Hokkaido Utari Association.[6][7][8] She became head of the Noboribetsu Branch of the Hokkaido Utari Association’s in April 1996, continuing her work until she retired from the post in 2005.[2][7] She founded the Club for Talking about Mashiho Chiri, a study group with other members of the Noboribetsu Branch of the Hokkaido Utari Association in1988, and became head of the club in 1997.[5] There were twelve Ainu language schools in Hokkaido, and she set up the 13th one.[9] In 1998, she founded the Women's Society for Learning and Inheriting the Ainu Culture.[10] She was welcomed and well received by local people when Ainu exhibitions were held in the United States.[11][12]

As an artist and educator

The work as a consultant in the Hokkaido Utari Association inspired Yasuko to learn Ainu embroidery.[13] Due to a stagnation of the branch’s activities, no folk costume for traditional ceremonies were available, which made her to study distinct textile patterns in Ainu clothing and to sew garments for the preservation of the Ainu culture.[13] She started an Ainu embroidery class for local citizens in 1990, founded Pirikanoka, a society for learning Ainu embroidery named after the Ainu word meaning a “beautiful form” in 1993, and held annual exhibitions for embroidery works.[14] In 1997, she started a project to create faithful reproductions of traditional Ainu clothes from the late Edo period to the mid-Showa period in collaboration with 20 women in Sapporo and Iwamizawa.[13] In 2008, souvenir albums were created for the world leaders visiting Toyako in Hokkaido for the 34th G8 summit, which were embroidered with traditional Ainu patterns designed by Yasuko and highly appreciated.[14] In addition to embroidery, she taught traditional Ainu dancing to children in primary schools around Noboribetsu.[6]

In the 2020s, she continued holding exhibitions and teaching as an Ainu embroidery artist.[15][16][17] She died on 16 March 2024.[18]

Awards

  • 1994 – Award of Excellence, Hokkaido Ainu Craftwork Contest,Education Award, Hokkaidō Prefectural Board of Education[19]
  • 1997 - Promotion Award, Hokkaido Ainu Craftwork Contest, Ainu Cultural Promotion Award[19]
  • 1998 - Jury Award, Hokkaido Ainu Craftwork Contest[19]
  • 2002 - Social Volunteer Award, The Soloptimist Japan Foundation[19]
  • 2009 – Regional Award, Pola Award for Traditional Japanese Culture, Hokkaido Cultural Property Protection Distinguished Service Award[6]
  • 2010 – Official Recognition for Cultural and Educational Contributions by Noboribetsu[6]
  • 2018 – Ainu Cultural Award[6]
  • 2019 – Commissioner for Cultural Affairs Award[20]

Works

  • 上武やす子とピリカノカ (Uetake Yasuko and Pirikanoka). クルーズ. 2007. ISBN 978-4-905756-40-8.

References

  1. ^ "平成9年度 アイヌ文化奨励賞 上武やす子（62歳）". アイヌ民族文化財団. 1997. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b c 安本浩之 (11 February 1999). "会う・聞く・語る 道ウタリ協会登別支部長 上武やす子さん 南北の文化交流 伝統工芸の魅力伝える もっと技術広げたい". 北海道新聞 (蘭B朝刊 ed.). 北海道新聞社. p. 19.
  3. ^ "上武 やす子さんに聞く". 森川海のアイヌ先住権を「見える化」するプロジェクト (in Japanese). 森・川・海のアイヌ先住権研究プロジェクト. 2024-07-01. Retrieved 2025-03-01.
  4. ^ a b c 上武やす子とピリカノカ (Uetake Yasuko and Pirikanoka). クルーズ. 2007. pp. 2–3. ISBN 978-4-905756-40-8.
  5. ^ a b 長谷川善威 (10 November 2007). "土曜とーく 上武やす子さん「知里真志保を語る会」会長 功績や温かみ伝えたい". 北海道新聞 (蘭C朝刊 ed.). p. 31.
  6. ^ a b c d e "平成30年度（第22回）アイヌ文化賞 上武やす子（83歳）". アイヌ民族文化財団. 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  7. ^ a b "知里幸恵生誕100年 この1年そして未来へ 上武やす子さん 儀式の復活、語学や刺しゅう教室を通じ民族の文化継承に努める道ウタリ協会登別支部長". 北海道新聞 (蘭B朝刊 ed.). 24 December 2003. p. 23.
  8. ^ "Yasuko Uetake". The Foundation for Ainu Culture. Retrieved 2025-03-04.
  9. ^ 池田静哉 (22 January 2019). "上武さん（登別）アイヌ文化賞 刺しゅう工芸伝承に尽力". 北海道新聞 (蘭A朝刊 ed.). p. 15.
  10. ^ 北海道の生活文化. 北の生活文庫. 北海道新聞社. 28 March 2000. p. 97. ISBN 978-4-89453-080-5.
  11. ^ "上武やす子さん（「アイヌ文化を学び継承する女性の会」代表）". 女性教養 (561). 日本女子社会教育会: 13. 1 July 1999. NCID AN00246427.
  12. ^ 北海道の生活文化. 北の生活文庫. 北海道新聞社. 28 March 2000. pp. 98–99. ISBN 978-4-89453-080-5.
  13. ^ a b c 水野薫 (2 October 2010). "技に生きる 西胆振の名人たち 37 刺しゅう家・上武やす子さん アイヌ民族の文化 伝承". 北海道新聞 (蘭B朝刊 ed.). p. 29.
  14. ^ a b "第29回 伝統文化ポーラ賞 地域賞". ポーラ伝統文化振興財団. 2009. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  15. ^ 高木乃梨子 (16 September 2022). "アイヌ文化伝承 文様に思い込め 登別で上武さん刺しゅう展". 北海道新聞 (蘭B朝刊 ed.). p. 17.
  16. ^ 広川春男 (15 September 2023). "アイヌ刺しゅう 生徒16人作品展 室蘭市民美術館". 北海道新聞 (蘭A朝刊 ed.). p. 16.
  17. ^ 小林彩乃 (15 February 2022). "山崎さん アイヌ文化賞 白老から選出 奨励賞に菅野さん 刺しゅうなど 後進育成に力". 北海道新聞 (苫A朝刊 ed.). p. 18.
  18. ^ 室蘭民報社 (2024-03-20). "アイヌ文化伝承「先駆け的存在」 上武さん死去、惜しむ声｜室蘭民報社 電子版". Webむろみん 電子版 (in Japanese). 室蘭民報社. Retrieved 2025-03-01.
  19. ^ a b c d 上武やす子とピリカノカ (Uetake Yasuko and Pirikanoka). クルーズ. 2007. p. 48. ISBN 978-4-905756-40-8.
  20. ^ 高田誠 (23 December 2019). "アイヌ民族楽器、次世代へ ムックリ制作・演奏の鈴木さん、文化庁長官表彰". 朝日新聞 (北海道朝刊 ed.). 朝日新聞社. p. 19.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasuko_Uetake
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