Marimo

Japanese: マリモ (marimo)

Marimo are green algae spheres which form naturally in certain lakes in Hokkaidô and elsewhere. Lake Akan is one of the most famous sites for finding marimo.

Reduction of water levels in Lake Akan combined with other developments led to a severe decline in the marimo in the 1950s; from that time forward, groups of Ainu have engaged in an annual ritual known as the Marimo Festival, performing a combination of Shinto and Ainu rituals aimed at protecting the marimo. Taking place in early October each year at Lake Akan, the Marimo Festival has become the largest annual gathering of Ainu in the world.

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References

Adam Isfendiyar, gallery labels, "Master - An Ainu Story," SOAS Brunei Gallery, Nov 2018.[1]