On 21 April, The University of Tokyo announced that members of the Task Force on the Repatriation of Human Remains and Related Matters visited Hawaiʻi in late March to apologise for “inappropriate” communications during the repatriation of Native Hawaiian ancestral remains. Executive Vice President Kaori Hayashi, Vice President Yujin Yaguchi, and Professor Mari Yoshihara met with Mr. Edward Halealoha Ayau, a lawyer representing Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo, an organisation dedicated to the repatriation of Native Hawaiian ancestral remains.
According to Hui Iwi Kuamo’o, the impetus for the return of Native Hawaiian remains came from the records of Yoshikiyo Koganei, a professor at the Imperial University Medical College (present-day UTokyo Faculty of Medicine). In his diary, Koganei wrote that he took four skulls for research purposes when he visited Honolulu, Hawaiʻi in 1901. In 2023, Hui Iwi Kuamo’o requested that UTokyo return the remains in question. However, UTokyo delayed their immediate return, stating that it would “take time to confirm the full extent of the collection.”
UTokyo had initially proposed returning the Native Hawaiian remains in April 2025. Hui Iwi Kuamo’o, however, repudiated this proposal and insisted on an “immediate return,” describing the process as resembling a “hostage negotiation.” Ultimately, UTokyo repatriated the ancestral remains of 10 Native Hawaiians in November 2024, approximately six months earlier than first proposed.
This is not the only conflict UTokyo has experienced with the repatriation of indigenous remains. In June 2025, UTokyo returned the remains of seven Indigenous Australians, after being contacted by the Australian government in 2023. The following month, Ainu ancestral remains were returned to northern Japan. UTokyo still retains the remains of 31 individuals from the Prefecture of Okinawa, after it was decided by local governments that it is “desirable for the remains to continue to be under the care of the university.”
In light of these conflicts, UTokyo established the Task Force on the Repatriation of Human Remains and Related Matters on 1 August 2025 “to pursue initiatives to respect the dignity of Indigenous peoples.” The task force, consisting of eight members (see Table 1), is chaired by Executive Director and Vice President Kaori Hayashi. It aims to clarify policy for the return of remains based on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, relevant laws such as the Act Promoting Measures to Achieve a Society in which the Pride of Ainu People is Respected, and the views of domestic and international research institutions.
Despite the establishment of the task force, criticism of the Native Hawaiian repatriation remained. According to reports, UTokyo did not offer a formal apology at the return ceremony in November 2024. An organisation insider remarked on UTokyo’s process leading up to the return, stating that they have “no sense of cultural protocol in their discussions”, referring to ancestors as “osteological material rather than people.” They further commented that it is “the ancestors whom they [UTokyo] need to apologise to, not us [Hui Iwi Kuamo’o].” They added that UTokyo “threatened” Hui Iwi Kuamo’o not to disclose the universities and the names of those involved during the return process, warning that future cooperation for repatriations would be reduced as a penalty if these conditions were violated.
In late March 2026, the task force travelled to Hawaiʻi to formally apologise for the administrative setbacks during repatriation. They met with Mr. Ayau, who highlighted the previously mentioned difficulties and accepted the university’s apology. The delegation also attended a “mihi” (“to apologise, reconcile, and restore” in Hawaiian) ceremony, where the repatriated remains were interred and an apology was offered to the Hawaiian ancestors for removal from their homeland.
A representative of Hui Iwi Kuamo’o emphasised that while the university’s response was far from adequate, the fact that they agreed to the repatriation is a step forward. They hope that this case will have a positive influence on the response and management of other universities.
The post UTokyo Apologises for Mishandling of Native Hawaiian Remains Repatriation first appeared on 東大新聞オンライン.
UTokyo Apologises for Mishandling of Native Hawaiian Remains Repatriation 2026 IUSTITIA.BG – Investigations 2009-2025 2026-05-27 02:01:29
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