# Mashiho Chiri
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{{Short description|Ainu lexicographer (1909–1961)}}
{{Western name order|Chiri Mashiho}}
{{Infobox academic
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1909|02|24}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1961|06|09|1909|02|24}}
| birth_place = [Noboribetsu](/source/Noboribetsu), [Hokkaido](/source/Hokkaido), Japan
| discipline = Linguist, anthropologist
| sub_discipline = [Ainu language](/source/Ainu_language)
| alma_mater = [Tokyo Imperial University](/source/Tokyo_Imperial_University)
| workplaces = [Hokkaido University](/source/Hokkaido_University)
| awards = 1954 [Asahi Prize](/source/Asahi_Prize)
| native_name = 知里 真志保
| native_name_lang = ja
| image = MashihoChiri.jpg
}}
'''Mashiho Chiri '''({{Langx|ja|知里 真志保}}; February 24, 1909 {{En dash}} June 9, 1961) was an [Ainu](/source/Ainu_people) linguist and anthropologist. He was best known for creating Ainu-Japanese dictionaries.
== Biography ==
Chiri was born on February 24, 1909, in what is now [Noboribetsu](/source/Noboribetsu), [Hokkaido](/source/Hokkaido), Japan. His father was Takakichi Chiri who had served in the [Russo-Japanese War](/source/Russo-Japanese_War) and was one of three Ainu awarded the [Order of the Golden Kite](/source/Order_of_the_Golden_Kite),[{{cite conference |last=Godefroy |first=Noémi |date=25 August 2011 |title=Deconstructing and Reconstructing Ainu identity: From assimilation to recognition 1868-2008 |conference=13th International EAJS (European Association for Japanese Studies) Conference (24-27 August 2011) |url=https://popjap.hypotheses.org/files/2013/03/Deconstructing_and_Reconstructing_Ainu_identity_Popjap.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250624060952/https://popjap.hypotheses.org/files/2013/03/Deconstructing_and_Reconstructing_Ainu_identity_Popjap.pdf |archive-date=24 June 2025 |page=6}}] his mother was Nama.[{{cite web |date=9 May 2025 |title=Yukie Chiri |url=https://www.japansocietyboston.org/post/yukie-chiri |website=Japan Society of Boston |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250809095253/https://www.japansocietyboston.org/post/yukie-chiri |archive-date=9 August 2025}}] His older sister is [Yukie Chiri](/source/Yukie_Chiri) and his aunt is [Imekanu](/source/Imekanu).[{{cite book |last=Sjöberg |first=Katarina |year=1993 |title=The Return of the Ainu: Cultural Mobilization and the Practice of Ethnicity in Japan |series=Studies in Anthropology and History |volume=9 |publisher=[Harwood Academic Publishers](/source/Taylor_%26_Francis) |location=Switzerland |isbn=978-3-71865-401-7 |doi=10.4324/9781315077130 |url={{google books URL|tePeAQAAQBAJ}} |page=63}}] He was taught Japanese, and learned the Ainu language when he was in high school.[{{Cite journal |last=Sato-Rossberg |first=Nana |date=2008 |title=Chiri Mashiho's Performative Translations of Ainu Oral Narratives |journal=Japanese Studies |language=en |volume=28 |issue=2 |pages=135–148 |doi=10.1080/10371390802249040 |s2cid=145812379 |issn=1037-1397}}]
He graduated from the [Hokkaido Muroran Sakae High School](/source/Hokkaido_Muroran_Sakae_High_School). He had excellent grades, but couldn't afford go to college. Instead he worked at a local government office. Later, [Kindaichi Kyosuke](/source/Ky%C5%8Dsuke_Kindaichi) recognized his intelligence and invited Chiri to stay at his house in Tokyo and attend the {{Interlanguage link|First Higher School, Japan|lt=|ja|第一高等学校 (旧制)|WD=}}.[{{Cite web |url=https://www.lib.hokudai.ac.jp/en/collections/personal/mashiho-chiri/ |title=Mashiho Chiri collection – Hokkaido University Library |website=www.lib.hokudai.ac.jp |access-date=7 November 2019 |archive-url= |archive-date=}}] Chiri took him up on his offer, and graduated in 1933.[{{Cite web |url=http://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/1447816/100 |script-title=ja:第一高等学校一覧. 昭和８至９年 - 国立国会図書館デジタルコレクション |title=Daichikōtōgakkō ichiran. Shōwa 8 itari 9-nen - kokuritsu Kokkaitoshokan dejitaru korekushon |trans-title=List of First High Schools. 1933-1934 - National Diet Library Digital Collections |website=dl.ndl.go.jp |language=ja |access-date=7 November 2019 |archive-url= |archive-date=}}] He then studied at the [Tokyo Imperial University](/source/University_of_Tokyo) and graduated from the literature department in 1937.[{{Cite web |url=http://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/1446243/267 |script-title=ja:東京帝国大学一覧. 昭和１２年度 - 国立国会図書館デジタルコレクション |title=Tōkyōteikokudaigaku ichiran. Shōwa 12-nendo - kokuritsu Kokkaitoshokan dejitaru korekushon |trans-title=List of Tokyo Imperial University. Fiscal Year 1937 - National Diet Library Digital Collections |website=dl.ndl.go.jp |language=ja |access-date=7 November 2019 |archive-url= |archive-date=}}] He was the first Ainu to enter the university.[{{Cite book |script-title=ja:アイヌ語研究編 |title=Ainukotoba kenkyū-hen |trans-title=Ainu Language Research |date=1974-05-28 |publisher=平凡社 |series=知里真志保著作集 第4巻 |pages=437–442 |script-chapter=ja:年譜 |chapter=Nenpu |trans-chapter=Chronology |language=ja}}]
== Ainu language ==
Chiri's academic work focused on the [Ainu language](/source/Ainu_language). He won the 1954 [Asahi Prize](/source/Asahi_Prize) for writing a classified Ainu language dictionary.[{{Cite news |url=http://www.asahi.com/shimbun/award/asahi/20-30.html |script-title=ja:朝日賞 - １９４５（昭和２０）年―１９６４（昭和３９）年の受賞者 - 朝日新聞社の賞・コンクール - 朝日新聞社から |title= |trans-title= |language=ja |work=[Asahi Shimbun](/source/Asahi_Shimbun) |access-date=7 November 2019 |archive-url= |archive-date=}}] He worked with {{Interlanguage link|Yamada Hidezo|lt=|ja|山田秀三|WD=}} to study the Ainu names for places, eventually creating an Ainu place name dictionary that helped to give a better understanding of place names in [Hokkaido](/source/Hokkaido).[{{Cite book |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/book/28232 |title=Beyond Ainu Studies: Changing Academic and Public Perspectives |last1=Hudson |first1=Mark J. |last2=Lewallen |first2=Ann-Elise |last3=Watson |first3=Mark K. |date=2014 |publisher=[University of Hawai'i Press](/source/University_of_Hawai'i_Press) |isbn=9780824839185 |language=en}}]
Chiri also translated Ainu stories, which were passed down orally because the Ainu did not have a written language. His translation style was meant to reflect the performative nature of how the stories were told, and he did this by writing them in colloquial Japanese and improvising. He also translated certain words like "[vagina](/source/vagina)" and "[ejaculation](/source/ejaculation)" into [German](/source/German_language) in order to avoid [censorship](/source/censorship), though they were written using [katakana](/source/katakana) in his translations. This style was criticized by later scholars for summarizing content and adding new sentences, and some re-translated his work in a more traditional style.