Yasuko Uetake

Yasuko Uetake
Born
Yasuko Muromura

(1934-11-26)November 26, 1934
Motomuroran (Sakimoricho), Muroran, Hokkaido
DiedMarch 16, 2024(2024-03-16) (aged 89)
NationalityJapan
EducationMuroran Bunka Fashion College
OccupationEmbroidery artist
Years activeLate 1970s – 2024
Organisation(s)Hokkaido Utari Association (1985–2012)
Club for Talking about Mashiho Chiri (1988–2024)
Women's Society for Learning and Inheriting the Ainu Culture (1998–2024)
Known forPreservation and promotion of the Ainu culture
Ainu embroidery and folk costume design
Teaching of traditional Ainu dancing
AwardsAward of Excellence, Hokkaido Ainu Craftwork Contest (1994)
Ainu Cultural Promotion Award (1997)
Regional Award, Pola Award for Traditional Japanese Culture (2009)
Hokkaido Cultural Property Protection Distinguished Service Award (2009)
Ainu Cultural Award (2018)
Commissioner for Cultural Affairs Award (2019)
External videos
Waza vol 4 Yasuko Uetake – The Foundation for Ainu Culture

Yasuko Uetake (Japanese: 上武やす子, née Yasuko Muromura; 26 November 1934 – 16 March 2024) was an embroidery artist and Ainu cultural activist from Japan. Born in Muroran, Hokkaido, she was a prominent figure in the preservation and promotion of the Ainu culture in Noboribetsu. She was active in the Noboribetsu Branch of the Hokkaido Utari Association, the Club for Talking about Mashiho Chiri, and the Women's Society for Learning and Inheriting the Ainu Culture. A self-taught but accomplished Ainu embroidery artist, she created various works in traditional Ainu clothing, trained younger artists in embroidery seminars, and taught other Ainu cultural traditions, including dancing.