Cultural appropriation? Japan’s indigenous Ainu wary of Chinese bid to trademark their name for smartphone cases
- An application has been lodged with Japan’s Patent Office by an individual in Shenzhen seeking to trademark ‘Ainu’
- The Ainu people are indigenous to Japan’s northernmost island, and Japan last year enacted legislation aimed at protecting Ainu culture
Documents disclosed by the Japan Patent Office showed on Wednesday that an application was lodged to trademark “Ainu” for products such as smartphone cases and computer mouses. The filing was made in March by an individual in Shenzhen, southeastern China.
The application was pending as of Tuesday and the JPO only said it will make a decision based on trademark law.
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It is unclear whether the applicant was aware of the significance of the word Ainu when filing for the trademark and the person’s agent in Japan who processed the paperwork only confirmed to Kyodo News that the request was made through a patent office in China.
“I don’t know if [the applicant] had considered a specific ethnic group,” the agent said, adding, “I think the patent office will reject it if it is considered offensive.”
The application was lodged as the Japanese government plans to open the National Ainu Museum and Park in Hokkaido this year to promote a wider understanding of the ethnic minority that is indigenous to the nation’s northernmost main island.
“We believe that it is an attempt to profit off our community. We want the government to object,” said Hiroshi Hirono, who heads an association that advises those wishing to develop products using traditional Ainu design.
Japan last year enacted legislation aimed at protecting and promoting Ainu culture through the provision of financial assistance, stipulating for the first time that they are an indigenous people.
The Ainu are physically distinct from most Japanese, with heavier facial features, thick wavy hair and lush beards on the men. Their heavyset physique has also led to speculation they are members of a Caucasian race, although debate continues their ancestry remains a point of debate.
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Many Ainu claim links to Japan’s prehistoric Jomon culture, known for artefacts including pottery with cord-like patterns. But classic Ainu culture is thought to date from around the 15th to the 19th century. Based on animist traditions, the Ainu culture revolved around nature and earth gods.
“Kimono is a traditional ethnic dress fostered in our rich nature and history with our predecessors’ tireless endeavours and studies and it is a culture that has been cherished and passed down with loving care in our living,” Daisaku Kadokawa wrote, using official City of Kyoto stationery. “Also it is a fruit of craftsmanship and truly symbolises sense of beauty, spirits and values of Japanese.”
“When I announced the name of my shapewear line, I did so with the best intentions in mind,” Kardashian said on social media. “My brands and products are built with inclusivity and diversity at their core and after careful thought and consideration, I will be launching my Solutionwear brand under a new name.”
