Meaning Of Yukie Chiri & Ainu’s Manga Cultural Vocabulary As An Entrance to Japanese Ainu Crosscultural Understanding

Sep 28, 2026

This study examined the cultural vocabulary contained in Yukie Chiri & Ainu's manga (2017), focusing on how Ainu cultural knowledge is encoded in lexical items. Using ethnographic semantic theory, the research identified, categorized, and interpreted vocabulary tied to belief systems, ritual types and meanings, place names, seasons, and living equipment. Results show the manga introduces Japanese Ainu culture while also serving as an entry point for readers’ cross-cultural understanding, linking narrative folklore, such as yukar, with culturally grounded terms.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

1. Introduction

Manga as a medium for introducing Ainu culture

Yukie Chiri as a symbolic figure

Research focus and rationale

Theoretical framework: ethnographic semantics

” Meaning Of Yukie Chiri & Ainu’s Manga Cultural Vocabulary As An Entrance to Japanese Ainu Crosscultural Understanding Ida Ayu Laksmita Sari 1*, Ni Luh Kade Yuliani Giri2 1 Universitas Udayana, Bali, Indonesia [laksmita_sari@unud.ac.id](laksmita_sari@unud.ac.id1)[1](laksmita_sari@unud.ac.id1) Journal History Submitted 31th May 2026 Revised 22nd July 2026 Accepted 23th July 2026 Published 30th July 2026 Keywords: cultural vocabulary; ethnographic semantics; cross-cultural understanding; Ainu; Japanese This is an open access article under the CC BY license. Copyright © 2026 by Author. Published by Institut Pariwisata dan Bisnis Internasional. ABSTRACT This study examined the cultural vocabulary contained in Yukie Chiri & Ainu's manga (comic)(2017) . Yukie Chiri & Ainu manga is a comic that tells the journey of a girl named Yukie Chiri in collecting Ainu folklore. Using ethnographic semantic theory, this study focused on the identification, categorization, and meaning of the Ainu cultural system through vocabulary related to cultural elements used in the Yukie Chiri & Ainu manga. The study results show several cultural vocabularies used to introduce Japanese Ainu culture, namely the vocabulary of belief systems, types of rituals, ritual means, place names, seasons, and living equipment of the Ainu people. This study contributes to the understanding that this manga not only introduces narratives and forms of folklore such as yukar as cultural heritage but also confirms that this manga also introduces Ainu cultural vocabulary which is the entry point for readers for cross-cultural introductions. 1. INTRODUCTION Manga has become one of the important media through which Ainu culture is introduced to contemporary readers. As a visual and narrative form, manga can represent cultural practices, historical figures, social relations, and Indigenous experiences in ways that are accessible to a wide audience. However, representation * How to Cite Ida Ayu Laksmita Sari, Ni Luh Kade Yuliani Giri (2026) Meaning Of Yukie Chiri & Ainu’s Manga Cultural Vocabulary As An Entrance to Japanese Ainu Cross-Cultural Understanding. Journal of Language and Applied Linguistics, 7(2), 134-146. [https://doi.org/ 10.22334/traverse.v7i2.264](https://doi.org/ 10.22334/traverse.v7i2.264) in manga is never neutral. It is shaped by narrative selection, visual framing, ideological position, and the cultural distance between the represented community and the intended readers. Previous studies show that Ainu-related manga can challenge dominant narratives of Hokkaidō history, but it can also reproduce simplified images of Ainu culture when historical injustice is displaced by spectacle, adventure, or emotional empathy (Keller, 2025, 2026) . One significant figure in this discussion is Yukie Chiri, an Ainu poet and translator whose work, Ainu Shinyōshū, played an important role in preserving and transmitting Ainu oral tradition. Yukie Chiri occupies a symbolic position in Ainu cultural history because her work reflects the struggle to maintain Indigenous language and oral memory under the pressure of Japanese modernity and assimilationist policies. Manga that represents Yukie Chiri and Ainu culture therefore carries more than biographical value. It becomes a medium through which readers encounter Ainu memory, cultural knowledge, and the historical tension between Ainu and Wajin society (Keller, 2026) . The present study focuses on Ainu cultural vocabulary in Yukie Chiri-related manga as an entry point into Japanese-Ainu cross-cultural understanding. This focus is important because vocabulary related to Ainu culture may contain meanings that cannot be fully captured through direct translation. Terms related to place names, food, animals, rituals, kinship, spiritual beings, and environmental relations are connected to the Ainu worldview. These words reflect how Ainu people construct meaning, organize social life, and maintain relat

FAQs

What is the main focus of this study?

The study focuses on Ainu cultural vocabulary in Yukie Chiri-related manga as an entry point into Japanese-Ainu cross-cultural understanding.

What theoretical framework does the study use?

It uses ethnographic semantic theory to analyze lexical meaning within the cultural system where the language is used.

Which kinds of Ainu cultural vocabulary are identified in the manga?

The study identifies vocabulary related to belief systems, types of rituals and their meanings, place names, seasons, and the living equipment of the Ainu people.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Riley West