My morning walk…

Today I chose to walk, not along the coastal features as I had done for the past two days, but into town to the Noboribetsu River. By the river stands a memorial monument to one of Chiri Yukie’s brothers, who after her death also made great contributions to Ainu research.

After then deliberated about whether or not to visit her grave. Chiri Yukie died on her return home from Tokyo, so never actually made it back to Noboribetsu and was not originally buried here. But a few years ago, an effort was made to have her interred by her mother’s grave in Noboribetsu, which is now where she rests. So this is not her original grave site nor is it near the site of her actual death. Furthermore, in traditional Ainu culture, relatives and friends do not go back to visit a grave after the burial ritual is complete. In fact, if one should approach the resting place of a deceased person too closely, among the Ainu it is a matter of course that some bad consequence should follow unless a purification ceremony, which involves the washing of hands with water and the brushing down of the body with dry grasses, is held. However, I decided to go anyway. I wonder what evil will befall me for not only having visited, but for having taken a picture...