The Ainu are considered the original inhabitants of Northern Japan. They formerly lived as hunter-gatherer communities, primarily in northeastern Japan on the islands of Hokkaido, Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands. The name Ainu derives from the word for “human” in their native language.

They live in close contact with nature, guided by the belief that everything natural—people, flora and fauna, even the elements—possesses a divine spirit. Ceremonies and rituals are performed in honor of each deity.

Music is of great importance in Ainu culture: they sing to work, play, tell stories, and resolve conflicts. In fact, it is so deeply ingrained in the Ainu way of life that there is no distinction between sound and music. A term like hum (sound or feeling) can refer to the percussive sound of drums or the roar of a flowing river. For the Ainu, music is as natural as breathing.

The Ainu seem to have more in common culturally with the Inuit than with the Japanese as we know them. Beginning in the mid-19th century, the Ainu were colonized and forced to become Japanese citizens. The use of their language and cultural practices was prohibited. An 1899 law that stripped them of their rights was not officially repealed until 1996, although parts of it were abolished over time through tireless campaigning.

However, the Ainu proved resilient. Their elders held on to their knowledge and passed it on through oral tradition. This marked the beginning of a revival that led to their recognition as an indigenous group in 2008 and, in 2019, to their official recognition as a minority with independent rights in Japan. Today, the Ainu population is estimated at between 20,000 and 50,000. However, the number of people fluent in the language is likely only a few dozen. Kapiw (‘seagull’) and Apappo (‘flower’) are the Ainu names of two sisters. They learned the songs of their people from their grandmother. They sing upopo – everyday songs that are short and usually simple in structure and revolve around a single activity: a game or a chore. Sometimes the singing itself becomes a game, as in rekuhkara competitions, where Ainu throat singing is practiced by women. This is very similar to the kattajaq songs of the Inuit. Work songs are rhythmic in nature, but even such everyday songs often have a spiritual rather than a worldly meaning.

With Kapiw & Apappo, these almost forgotten songs are often meditative in nature, but they are also accompanied by the tonkori (lute) and the mouth harp mukkuri. Kapiw & Apappo began regular performances in 2012, having already appeared at festivals throughout Japan. The beauty of their voices and the sound of their instruments are imbued with the soul they inherited from their ancestors.

In 2016, the documentary Kapiw and Apappo – A Tale of Ainu Sisters (by Takayuki Sato) was made about the two sisters and their musical work, offering profound insight into this little-known culture and music. Now, the two sisters are coming to Europe for the first time.

Emi Toko KAPIW: mukkuri (mouth harp), vocals
Fukiko Goukon APAPPO: tonkori (lute), mukkuri (mouth harp), vocals