Indigenous group

Indigenous people of Japan

The ainu people of japan Hokkaido. They are the aborigines people of northern japan. they are close to extinction now with the ever increasing decrease in number due to reason such as oppression, racism and forced assimilation policies. Modern socialization have also lead them into deny their identity.

'Ainu" means human. (Thomason, 1999) they survive by fishing, selling handicraft to tourists, hunting, etc. they are heavily bearded and have thick wavy hair. With a mix of european and asian physical traits, they clearly contrast themselves from the others indigenous group of asia so much so that their origins is uncertain. some believe they hold caucasians blood. There are only about 150,000 ainu today.

The traditional dress of the ainu are spun from the bark of the elm tree. It has long sleeves and is folded around the body and tied up by a girdle made from the same material. During winter times, they wear animal skins to keep themselves warm.

The Ainu people have only been recognised by the japanese government in 2008, just a 2 years ago. the government had tried to assimilate it by force. According to Anthony Kuhn's article on the indigenous people, they are now seen as a model of man living in harmony with nature. (Kuhn, 2008)