This was a much bigger and more thorough museum than I had expected. It went into lots of aspects about the lives of northern peoples, from clothing to language to daily life. I was glad to see that the museum acknowledged that the encounters between these peoples and the Japanese was often explicitly colonial in nature, and that some of the Japanese sources that are left behind and that are relied on to tell us about the people thus have to be handled carefully. There was information in English pretty much everywhere even if some of the translations were sometimes a bit off. There were 2 videos as well, both very informative, although one of them didn't have English subtitles. The captions, which are written by the director, are some of the funniest and cutest I've ever read in a museum. It was a bit weird to have the director cracking jokes in the captions but I found it quite endearing too! Overall, really great museum :) There is an entrance fee but you can couple it with some of the other attractions in the area and save money. I got a student discount too which made my visit to 3 places about 300 yen, and I reckon that's a bargain.

Nice collection of beautiful Ainu crafts and information on these people. Was surprised by the intricate crafting and hunting materials! You will not spend more than an hour here but it's definitely worth the 300 yen.

Historical materials related to the Ainu people are displayed. I'm glad I went because there were more exhibits than I expected. I liked that there was an exhibit of Makiri and poison arrows.

Ainu's culture and belief were genuinely connected to the very roots of nature. If in Hakodate you should spend a little time admiring this profound and, for the most of us, unknown people arts and history.

A surprisingly interesting quiet museum. Besides the exhibits, the lovingly preserved art deco building is worth a visit itself

An authentic experience with a good range of exhibits and a clear degree of individual charm and effort put into the museum. It doesn't seem like the sort of place that gets very busy. A worthwhile visit if you are Hakodate, at least so you can get some feeling of the native cultures of the Ainu and others, the original inhabitants of this land. Worth getting the combined ticket that lets you see 1-3 other linked museums.

Very cold in January🥶 Apparently, "Ezo" is the original Ainu name for Hokkaido. You can learn a lot about Hokkaido's history and the native Ainu people here. Each plaque has an English translation of the museum director's comments. They seem like a very playful and enthusiastic person😂 You can get Ainu merchandise too, but I recommend the Ainu souvenir shop Kamuiikoro カムイイコロ nearby if it's open.

I enjoyed the stories and write-ups and found it very interesting to know how native people lived in northern Japan many centuries ago. Must visit for those interested in learning human history.

Great museum. I wish we had more time to spend here. If we go back to Hakodate, I would love to go back.

An interesting museum about Ainu people. They have a booklet which has English introductions for almost all the contents inside and it’s placed outside the reception. Good to read through

Very interesting little museum. Learnt a lot about the Ainu. Well worth the ¥300.

Small but nice museum about Ainu people. This museum has great collection about Ainu-made traditional clothes, equipment and information about their lifestyle and history. Some of the descriptions are also in English, but more could be translated too. Museum building is kind of old facility of some sort, not best suitable for a museum. There's few items on sale by the museum shop, next to where the tickets are sold. Museum has 2 floors.

Quiet museum with nice Ainu collections.

A little out of the way, but an honestly lovely museum devoted to Hokkaido's indigenous and traditional peoples and culture. The staff were very friendly and there is plenty to see and read. Worth the walk or bus fare if you happen to have a few hours to kill.

Very important museum. It’s very sad to see the near-extinction of Ainu culture and language. A 2019 law recognized Ainu as indigenous people and will hopefully lead to some positive developments.

A great place if you want to learn about Ainu history and culture. Totally worth it.

Illuminating insight into a part of Japan's history and culture which is not often talked about, and peoples who have experiences significant discrimination. Educational (and witty!) commentary from the museum director and good value for money.

Surprisingly great museum with a lot of explanation in English. There appears to be a lot of love about the subject and also appreciation for the building as well. The director pointed out little quirks like the cracks in the walls, which I thought was cute.

Lovely museum, AND everything is explained in Japanese as well as English. The director's commentary on many of the exhibits was especially entertaining and informative! Highly recommend if you're interested in the life and culture of indigenous peoples.

A very interesting museum about the Northern Peope’s culture and way of living. They displayed some very impressive artefacts which showed Hokkaido was such a harsh place to live in before the modern times. There’s also some interesting facts about the historical bank building which housed the museum.

Nice little museum, very interesting.

This was a surprise. There was so much information and there was a lot of English translated information to read. I liked the input from the Director that was written in Japanese and then translated into English about all the cracks and items that could be from the original building that was made in 1926 (I think!). It has a retro feeling. The toilet lock was super cool.

Surprising and interesting. Everything presented in English. Very informative!

Very interesting and informative displays of the Ainu people. Highly recommended.

Nice (and inexpensive) museum on the Ainu history with many artifacts. Most displays have English explanations as well. Highly recommend.

I visited this place ages ago. Probably 2003 or so, when I first visited Japan. I remember taking notes of the Ainu clothes and tools that were on display, and one of the elderly museum managers came to explain to me briefly about the history of the stuff in that display room. I probably still have those notes somewhere as I can't get rid of anything that I write down... He is probably long retired and I haven't been to Hakodate in about 15 years now, but I liked the place. One of the places to see in Hakodate if you have the slightest interest in the Ainu, for sure.

Interesting museum. Seems like it’s mostly talking about northern tribes in general instead of specially to Japanese north: the tickets were slightly expensive at 2800 yen because the museum is quite small. But not much to do in hakaido so worth it if your bored .

It was very interesting to see the museum director's entertaining commentary on display along with the materials.