Ainu people

The Ainu (/ˈaɪnuː/) are an indigenous ethnic group who live in northern Japan and southeastern Russia. Their homes include Hokkaido and the Tōhoku region of Honshu, as well as areas around the Sea of Okhotsk. This includes places like Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, the Kamchatka Peninsula, and Khabarovsk Krai. They have lived in these areas, which they call "Ainu Mosir" ("the land of the Ainu"), since before the Yamato and Russians arrived.

The Ainu are one of the main historic ethnic groups of Japan, along with the Yamato and Ryukyuan people.

In 2023, about 11,450 Ainu were officially counted in Hokkaido. Many more may be Ainu because some people hid their identity to fit in. Sadly, in the past, the Ainu were made to give up their traditions, language, and way of life. Today, people are working to bring back Ainu culture and language.

Names

The Ainu people call themselves "Ainu," which means "a human being" in their language. They also use the name "Utari," meaning "comrades" or "people." The name "Ainu" first appeared in old writings from the late 1500s and became common in the 1800s.

Historically, other names were used for the Ainu by their neighbors. For example, the Sakhalin Ainu called themselves "Enchiw." In old Japanese records, they were sometimes called "Emishi," a term that is considered offensive today.

History

The Ainu are considered the native people of Hokkaido, southern Sakhalin, and the Kurils. Ainu place names show they once lived in several places throughout northern Honshu. Their ancestors, called Emishi, were gradually brought under Japanese control starting in the 9th century and pushed toward the northern islands.

The period known as the Nibutani or "Ainu" period followed older cultures like the Epi-Jōmon and Satsumon. During this time, the Ainu focused on hunting, fishing, and gathering. They lived off sika deer, Ussuri brown bears, salmon, shellfish, and edible seaweed. Their religious practices honored nature, similar to beliefs in Yamato Japan and shared some customs with indigenous peoples of Siberia.

Later, the Mongols and Ming dynasty of China influenced the Ainu through tribute systems and trade. The Qing dynasty continued these policies, imposing a fur tribute system and encouraging trade. Meanwhile, Japanese influence grew, especially through the Matsumae clan, leading to increased contact and eventual colonization of Hokkaido. These changes brought challenges to Ainu society, including shifts in traditional ways of life.

Origins and genetics

Main article: Origins of the Ainu

The Ainu are thought to be descendants of the indigenous Japanese hunter-gatherers who lived in Japan long ago.

Researchers believe the Ainu are connected to the Satsumon culture of the Epi-Jōmon period, with some later influences from the Okhotsk culture. This means their culture developed mainly from the Satsumon culture, with some additions from nearby groups. The Ainu culture includes different regional groups. Genetic studies show that the Ainu are closely related to other Northern and East Asian populations.

Culture

Main articles: Ainu culture, Ainu cuisine, Ainu music, and Yukar

Traditional Ainu culture is very different from Japanese culture. The Ainu culture grew from the 13th century until today. Many Ainu in Japan now live like ethnic Japanese, but many still keep their Ainu identity and respect old ways, called "Ainu puri". Special Ainu patterns and stories are protected as Hokkaido Heritage.

The Ainu language has very few speakers now. But people are working to bring the language back, mostly in Hokkaido. The Ainu language is a language isolate, meaning it is not related to other languages. Ainu society was made up of small villages called kotan, often near rivers or the sea. Traditional Ainu clothes were made from bark fibers, and both men and women wore beards and tattoos. Their homes were huts with roofs of reeds and a fire in the middle. Ainu food included bear, fish, and grains, with salmon being very important. The Ainu hunted animals like bears and deer, and fished for salmon and trout. Traditional Ainu decorations included crowns for men and headbands for women.

The Ainu had different ways of marriage, sometimes arranged by parents or by mutual consent. Children were raised almost naked until they were about four or five years old. The Ainu believed that everything in nature has a spirit. Ceremonies included pouring out sake and offering willow sticks with wooden shavings. The Ainu believed their spirits live forever and go to the Land of the Gods after death. Traditional dances were done at ceremonies and festivals.

Incorporating Ainu into archaeology

Archaeologists have studied the Ainu people, but sometimes they did not respect Ainu traditions. Now, people are working to change this. They are including Ainu rituals in their work. One ritual is called the "Kamui-nomi." This is a special ceremony where people offer prayers to gods for safety and well-being. During this ceremony, they use sacred sticks called "inaw." These sticks are later placed in the Ishikari River.

In the past, policies tried to make the Ainu change to match other cultures. This hurt their language and traditions. Today, people are working to bring back Ainu identity. They are preserving the Ainu language, arts, and spiritual practices.

Institutions

The Ainu people in Hokkaido have a group called the Hokkaido Ainu Association. It was called the Hokkaido Utari Association from 1961 to 2009, but then changed back to its original name. This group helps protect Ainu culture and is now led by Ainu people.

There are special places for Ainu culture, such as museums and research centers. These include the National Ainu Museum, the Kawamura Kaneto Ainu Museum, and the Hokkaido University Center for Ainu and Indigenous Studies. The Ainu also work closely with the Sámi people of northern Europe to share and support their cultures.

Ethnic rights

In 1997, a court in Japan made an important decision. It said that the Ainu people have the right to keep their culture and traditions. This happened when the government wanted to build dams on land where many Ainu lived. Two Ainu leaders refused to give up their land, and this led to a lawsuit. The court could not stop the dam, but it recognized the Ainu as Japan's indigenous people for the first time.

Since then, Japan has worked to support Ainu rights. In 2012, an Ainu political party was formed to help Ainu and Japanese live together fairly. In 2020, a special museum called the National Ainu Museum opened to share Ainu history and culture. The museum is in Shiraoi, Hokkaidō, and is named "Upopoy" in the Ainu language, meaning "singing in a large group."

Geography

The Ainu people lived in Hokkaido, Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, Kamchatka, and northern Tōhoku. Many place names in these areas come from the Ainu language.

In 1756, leaders from the Edo period started changing Ainu culture. In 1945, when the Soviet Union took control of some areas, many Ainu moved back to Japan. Today, small groups of Ainu live in Russia, but they have trouble getting official recognition.

Population

The number of Ainu people has changed over time. During the Edo period, there were about 26,800 Ainu. By 2006, a survey in Hokkaido found around 23,782 Ainu people. A later survey in 2017 showed a drop to about 13,000. This change is partly because fewer people are joining the Ainu Association of Hokkaido Ainu Association of Hokkaido.

Many Ainu also live outside Hokkaido. In 1988, about 2,700 Ainu lived in Tokyo. Some reports say there may be over 10,000 Ainu in the Tokyo area. There are also reports of Ainu descendants living in other countries, such as Poland. The exact number of Ainu people today is not known because Japan does not count Ainu separately in its national census.

In popular culture

The Ainu people appear often in Japanese books, TV shows, and games. They show up in anime, video games, and movies.

For example, the manga and anime Golden Kamuy has several Ainu characters. The main character learns about their culture from a young Ainu girl named Asirpa.

Other stories, like the manga and anime Shaman King, have an Ainu shaman named Horohoro. He is helped by a spirit called a Korpokkur. The film Ainu Mosir is about a young Ainu boy learning about his identity and traditions. The video game Ghost of Yōtei includes an Ainu village where players can collect Ainu artifacts.