Overview
- Kyodo’s survey published Sunday found only 83 of about 1,500 Ainu ancestral remains at universities have been returned since national guidelines were issued in December 2018.
- The survey cites stalled identifications due to grave-digging and poor records that left many remains without clear origins.
- Return applications require Ainu groups to prove in writing they are eligible to receive remains, creating a significant hurdle to repatriation.
- Ten of the 12 universities that held remains in 2018 responded to the questionnaire, while Tenri University and Okayama University of Science did not reply.
- A resurfaced 1888 memoir by anatomist Koganei Ryosei describing grave excavations has deepened distrust and sharpened scrutiny of how universities handle returns.