Chiri Yukie Memorial Museum

The Chiri Yukie Memorial Museum is a biographical museum in Noboribetsu that showcases the work of a translator who documented Ainu traditions. The building displays original manuscripts, photographs, and personal belongings that offer insights into her life and research work.

Chiri Yukie was an Ainu translator who created the first published collection of Ainu oral tradition before dying young. The museum was founded in 2010 to preserve her legacy and the significance of her documentation work for Ainu culture.

The museum displays how Chiri Yukie recorded Ainu stories and songs, helping to preserve oral traditions for future generations. Her work made Ainu culture accessible to a wider audience and is recognized today as an important contribution to documenting indigenous knowledge.

The museum is housed in an accessible building in central Noboribetsu and features permanent exhibitions alongside rotating special displays. Visitors should allow time to view the manuscripts and personal items at a leisurely pace.

The centerpiece of the collection is the Ainu Shin'yoshu manuscript, which Chiri Yukie completed at age 19 and which later became recognized as groundbreaking. This early documentation became a treasure of Ainu literary history despite her tragic early death.