Learn About “Yoshitsune of the North,” a Symbol of Multiculturalism

Minamoto no Yoshitsune, who was instrumental in the establishment of the Kamakura Shogunate, was unfortunately considered an enemy of the Emperor and committed suicide in 1189. However, there are legends throughout Japan that Yoshitsune, in fact, survived! Welcome to Biratori Town, where the Ainu people have their own version of this legend, and revered Yoshitsune as a hangan-kamui (god)! During the Edo period, Kondo Juzo, sent by the shogunate, learned of this legend and presented a wooden statue of Yoshitsune to the village in 1799 as a sacred statue. The chief enshrined it in the sacred ground, and this was the beginning of the Yoshitsune Shrine. Don’t miss a visit to this unique shrine and museum, demonstrating the long history of interconnectedness between the Ainu and Japanese peoples!