May 28, 2026

Japanese Communist Party lawmaker Iwabuchi Tomo at a meeting of the House of Councillors Audit Committee on May 25 criticized the government for failing to repatriate the remains of the indigenous “Ainu” people, which had been stolen from their burial sites in Hokkaido and are currently held both in Japan and abroad.

Iwabuchi asked about the progress made in returning the remains. Watanabe Akira, head of the Ainu Policy Department in the Cabinet Secretariat, replied that, of the 2,091 sets of remains identified by the government, 204 had been returned. Iwabuchi responded, “That’s only 10% of the total,” and urged the government to take prompt action to ensure the remains can be returned to their hometowns.

She cited Australia as an example, explaining that the country investigates the origins of the remains and provides financial assistance to facilitate the return of indigenous remains and ceremonial artefacts, and that eight domestic museums collaborate on these efforts.

Previously, another JCP Dietmember had demanded that the government keep abreast of trends regarding the repatriation of indigenous remains from overseas. At that time, the minister responsible for Ainu affairs responded, “We will study developments in other countries regarding this issue.”

Asked by Iwabuchi how things are progressing, Kikawada Hitoshi, the minister in charge of Ainu affairs, simply replied, “We will proceed with information gathering and discussions on the issue of the Ainu remains.”

The JCP member of the Upper House stated, “It is none other than the state’s forced relocation and assimilation policies that have caused the Ainu people to endure such tragic experiences to this day. The government should actively work toward the repatriation of remains, for example, by establishing an investigative team.”