National Ainu museum opens in Hokkaido after COVID delay

Japan's first national museum dedicated to the indigenous Ainu people of northern Japan opened Sunday after repeated delays due to the coronavirus pandemic.The National Ainu Museum in the Hokkaido town of Shiraoi will only accept 2,000 visitors who made reservations in advance on weekdays and 2,500 on weekend days to keep crowding to a minimum and reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission.The 8,600-square-meter museum, a park and a memorial make up the complex named "Upopoy," which means "singing in a large group" in the Ainu language.The ethnic group has lived for centuries in areas that…READ FULL ARTICLE