Swans resting on a misty marsh at dawn, with larch trees turned yellow

Makubetsu, Tokachi, Hokkaido

Cirotto (チロット), the Makubetsu Ainu Cultural Exchange Center

Cirotto opened on 1 October 2026 in the Senju (千住) district of Makubetsu. It has an exhibition hall on Ainu history and culture, a community hall for ceremonies, cooking and crafts, and the Ezo Culture Archaeological Museum, which dates from 1959.

Getting there and bus times Hours and admission

Photos are for illustration only

Cirotto at a glance

Opening hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Closed: Tuesdays (if Tuesday is a public holiday, the next weekday instead) and the New Year period (29 December – 3 January)
Admission: Individuals 300 yen, groups of 10 or more 200 yen each. Free for high school students and younger
Address: 113-4 Senju, Makubetsu, Nakagawa District, Hokkaido 089-0563, Japan
Phone: 0155-66-7770 (+81-155-66-7770 from overseas)
Bus: About 28 minutes by Tokachi Bus from Obihiro Station Bus Terminal. Get off at Makubetsu Kokokan-mae (幕別考古館前). The entrance is a 1-minute walk
Car: About 20 minutes from central Obihiro, about 10 minutes from central Makubetsu. Parking for about 60 cars

Three buildings on one site

A fire burning in a hearth with an iron kettle

Community Hall "Newsar" (ネウサㇽ)

It has a tradition room with a hearth and ritual implements, a kitchen and training rooms. People use it for ceremonies, cooking, embroidery and wood carving. Local groups can also rent the rooms.

Exhibition Hall "Ucaskuma" (ウチャㇱクマ)

A permanent exhibition on Ainu history and culture, and a second gallery where the theme changes from season to season.

A path through a birch wood in autumn colour

Ezo Culture Archaeological Museum (蝦夷文化考古館)

A museum built in 1959 by Yoshida Kikutaro (吉田菊太郎), an Ainu leader in Makubetsu. The building has been reinforced and kept.

Photos are for illustration only

A flock of swans flying over harvested fields

The name means "the marsh with many birds"

Cirotto is an Ainu word. Cir (チㇼ) is bird, ot (オッ) is "there are many", and to (ト) is marsh. Senju is said to have had a marsh where swans came.

Read about the name

Photos are for illustration only

On now

Special exhibition: Ando Umeko, Bearer of Ainu Culture

From 1 October to 28 December 2026. The exhibition follows the life of Ando Umeko (安東ウメ子), who lived in Makubetsu and passed on the mukkur (ムックㇽ, mouth harp) and upopo (ウポポ, songs).

Free admission from 1 to 4 October

To mark the opening, the galleries of the Exhibition Hall are free to visit until Sunday 4 October.

Photos are for illustration only

Before you go

By bus or by car

Buses from Obihiro Station leave from Platform 7. This page shows the next bus and how to enter the car parks.

Renting a room

Rooms in the Community Hall can be rented from 100 yen per hour. Here are the steps and the application forms.

A pot of soup with salmon and vegetables

Ainu culture

The history of the Ainu in Makubetsu, and their ceremonies, food, crafts, songs and instruments, with sources.

Hands passing a needle through dark blue cloth

Ainu word list

Look up about 200 words, mostly in the Tokachi dialect. Search in English, romanized Ainu, kana or Japanese.

Tokachi fields lined with windbreak trees

Nearby places

Two more museums covered by the combined ticket, and places in Obihiro where you can learn about Ainu culture.

Photos are for illustration only

Official information

Town of Makubetsu: Makubetsu Ainu Cultural Hub (Cirotto) (in Japanese)The town's official pages. News and activity reports are posted here.
Makubetsu Ainu Cultural Exchange Center: facility overview (in Japanese)Opening hours, fees, parking and application forms.
Cirotto on X (@cirotto_maku) (in Japanese)Event news and activity reports.