The Ainu - Japan's Forgotten People | The Real Japan

The Ainu – Japan’s Forgotten People | The Real Japan | HD

Honshu (northern Japan) and the island of Hokkaido.

It’s here the Ainu, Japan’s little-known indigenous people live.

They’ve lived here for tens of thousands of years.

But like the native people of America and Australia, the Ainu have suffered discrimitaton.

They are know for having more body hair than the Japanese.

The men have beards which they leave unshaven. While women’s mouths are tattooed.

Ainu culture is very different to that of the Japanese. They are traditionally hunter-gatherers.

They have their own language, but fewer than 100 people still speak it, and it is classified as ‘endangered’.

The Ainu practice ‘arctolatry’ – the worship of bears. They hunted them for food but also kept them as pets.

Today, only a few thousand Ainu remain.

After many decades of discrimination, it was only, in 2008 that the Japanese government officialy recognised the Ainu as indigenous people, with their own language and culture.

Perhaps the Ainu will no longer be Japan’s ‘forgotten people’…

Did you know about the Ainu? What do you think the furture holds for them? Please let me know by leaving a comment below…

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As The Real Japan, Rob Dyer shares inspiration and resources for discovering and exploring Japan beyond the cliches – The Real Japan. Rob is an expert on those off-the-beaten track places and he loves to share his knowledge.

If you’re really serious about discovering and exploring The Real Japan, I’ve personally put together a free guide to Amazing Adventures in Japan that you really need to get a copy of. In that guide I cover 5 (actually there’s 6 – but don’t tell anyone!) unforgettable adventures in Japan, spanning the northern most and coldest island of Hokkaido, through the main island of Honshu, and down to the sub-tropical southern island of Okinawa. What’s more, 2 of those amazing adventures are completely free – so won’t cost you a penny!