The Ainu people who have lived in and around Hokkaido produced original motifs or patterns in their lives, which are deeply related with the nature and their religious belief. Soetsu Yanagi, founder of the museum, respected the Ainu culture and he held the exhibition The Ainu Crafts and Culture already in 1941. This time various Ainu crafts would be shown such as costumes with applique patterns, wood works like iku pasuy or libation sticks and knife cases, necklaces of large glass beads.