On 4 February 2024, Nikkan Sports, a Japanese daily newspaper focusing mostly on sport, published an article exploring the recent release of the movie "Golden Kamuy”. The movie is an adaptation of a popular comic featuring some aspects of Ainu culture. One of the main characters belongs to this group of indigenous people originating from the northern region of Japan.
The article argues that the film can serve as a "gateway" for its audience to gain interest in the history and culture of the Ainu people.
Interviewed on the importance of learning from indigenous communities to achieve the SDGs, Suneetha Subramanian (Research Fellow, UNU-IAS) commented on the positive role movies can play in igniting conversations across generations. She noted that they can spark broader interest in the culture and history of ethnic minorities.
Produced by Kyodo News, the leading news agency in Japan, the full article is available on the Nikkan Sports website (in Japanese).
It has also been published in various forms by several other newspapers in Japan (including in print in Chiba Nippo, Chugoku Shimbun, Daily Tohoku, Ehime Shimbun, Gifu Shimbun, Hokkoku Shimbun, Hokuriku Chunichi Shimbun, Iwate Nippo, Kahoku Shimpo, Kanagawa Shimbun, Kitanihon Shimbun, Yamagata Shimbun and Yamaguchi Shimbun) and online:
- Nara Shimbun (paywall)
- Shimotsuke Shimbun (paywall)
- Shizuoka Shimbun
- Tokushima Shimbun (paywall)
