Ainu Stories: Contemporary Lives by the Saru River exhibition travels from Japan House London to Lithuania

LONDON, Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Ainu Stories: Contemporary Lives by the Saru River appeared at Japan House London in 2023/24 and welcomed over 160,000 visitors. Following a visit from National Museum of Lithuania's curators, elements of the exhibition are now travelling to Vilnius to be part of A Soul Between Worlds (5 February – 2 August 2026) at House of Histories in Vilnius.

The London exhibition was curated in collaboration with the people of Biratori, an area located in Saru River basin in the south of Hokkaido. The exhibition explored the significance of Ainu culture for this community and the relationships between its people and their surroundings, as well as revealing interesting historical links between the UK and Biratori. 

In Vilnius, elements of the Ainu exhibition will be paired with works from Lithuania-Polish ethnographer Bronisław Piłsudski (1866-1918), a key expert in the history of the Sakhalin Ainu. Commemorating the 160th anniversary of the birth of Bronislaw Piłsudski, this exhibition presents works by him, as well as examples of Ainu history and culture and gives a glimpse into what it means to be Ainu today.

Japan House London will be lending much of the video footage it captured in Biratori, as well as woodwork specially commissioned for the Ainu Stories exhibition. The House of Histories will also borrow Ainu tourism related objects, such as an Ainu-designed Coca Cola bottle and carved wooden bears from Simon Wright's personal collection.

Simon Wright, Director of Programming at Japan House London, said:

It's wonderful to see Ainu culture being continually celebrated and explored by cultural organizations across Europe. Ainu Stories was a landmark exhibition for Japan House London, telling important stories from an indigenous Ainu community and how the people there live today. We are thrilled that significant elements of our exhibition are travelling to be displayed in Lithuania and then, later in the year, in Poland, so that more audiences can hear the voices of Ainu communities first-hand.

Simon will be taking part in a panel discussion at the National Museum of Lithuania on Thursday 5 February along with the exhibition's curator and academics specializing in Bronisław Piłsudski.

The international exhibition "A Soul Between Worlds: Indigenous Ainu in Northern Japan and Ethnographer Bronisław Piłsudski" opens on Thursday 5 February at the House of Histories, part of the National Museum of Lithuania.

The Japan House London exhibition can be viewed virtually here and you can read more about Ainu culture here.

Notes to Editors

About Japan House London
Japan House London is a cultural destination offering the best and latest from Japan. Located on Kensington High Street, the experience is an authentic encounter with Japan, engaging and surprising even the most knowledgeable guests. Presenting the very best of Japanese art, design, gastronomy, innovation, and technology, it deepens the visitor's appreciation of all that Japan has to offer. Part of a global initiative, there are two other Japan Houses, one in Los Angeles and the other in São Paulo.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2875853/Ainu.jpg