Ainu - Japan

The Ainu people are mostly living throughout Japan, they are an amazing culture with many of their traditions and beliefs. Each of their designs shows and means something, representing who they are and where they come from. Embracing their culture means they have a special connection with the culture.

The significance shown through Ainu culture is mostly seen through their art, and rich traditions. Knowing that they went from such a small group of isolated people to soon having their land along with their religion, and language. The Ainu people believe that there is a god within everything surrounding them, so this truly shows why they have such an important and special connection with their land. They had a traditional life based on hunting and fishing.

Ainu people are located in Japan, or more specifically the island of Japan, they are found in Hokkaido which is where the first-ever Yayoi people arrived to farm. They are known to be both physically and culturally distinct from the Japanese. Sadly the Ainu people were forced to adopt Japanese names as well as their land and language, causing them to drift away from their culture. Estimated there is only about 18,000 Ainu now living in Hokkaido, as sad as it is their population was larger back in the past.

There are many beliefs that the Ainu have within their culture, for example, they worshipped nature gods called Kamuy which consisted of multiple meanings such as hearth, mountains, and bears, along with sea fishing. In the Romance ritual, they would sacrifice a pet bear cub for it to soon return as a protector spirit. All these things are what created the importance of Ainu culture.

All this information covers the importance of their culture as well as so many other aspects, and why they believe the things they do. For instance their history, ancestry, and the significance of their ways.