Jul 15
The custom of visiting graves was not originally part of Ainu tradition. It is unclear for what purpose the first photograph was taken.
The grave marker in the foreground, with the pointed top, is for a man. The rounded one behind it is for a woman. After the burial is completed and the grave marker has been erected, the final act for both men and women is to turn a wooden rice container (ohitsu) or a cooking pot upside down and forcefully punch through its bottom, leaving it there as it is. This style of grave marker varies by region. The type seen in Shiraoi is found roughly in the area extending from Shizunai to Muroran.
Scanned from the book 近代白老アイヌのあゆみ シラオイコタン 木下清蔵遺作写真集; 1988; Ainu Museum; photos by Seizō Kinoshita
