Ainu People of Japan

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Table of Contents

Introduction
The Ainu People
Websites Review
Importance of the Internet for Indigenous Peoples
Works Cited

Introduction

Indigenous people often suffer from the discrimination and denial of their rights by majoritarian ethnic groups. Nevertheless, the Internet can help them to draw attention to existing problems and seek protection from the international community. The Ainu, an isolated small group of people living in Hokkaido, Japan, try to maintain their identity after centuries of forced assimilation. Documentary videos, interviews, and articles on the Internet can help people draw public attention to existing problems and solve them.

The Ainu People

The cultural, economic, and social composition of the Ainu is not homogeneous, which makes it difficult to describe them. The people are indigenous to the north of Japan, they inhabit the islands of Hokkaido, Sakhalin, and Kurils (Allorah). Currently, the Ainu have remained only in Japan, in particular, on the island of Hokkaido, where their number is about 25,000 (Peeler, 00:03:13). Although the people were under strong pressure from colonial Japan, which sought to assimilate the Ainu, they managed to retain specific traditional features.

The Ainu live in small family clans of 4-10 families in sedentary villages. Their family structure is patriarchal, with a clear division of labor based on gender (Allorah). Traditionally, the Ainu were engaged in fishing, hunting, and gathering, using the biodiversity of the island and access to marine resources. However, due to constant contact with foreigners since the 17th century, the people have mastered animal husbandry and the sale of rice, which is now the basis of their economy (Allorah). Due to their knowledge of the local nature, the people manage to successfully use its resources for agriculture. However, modern Ainu reports high levels of poverty among the people due to lack of access to adequate education (Ainu still battling poverty). Moreover, it is noted that indigenous families traditionally have many children, which also complicates the situation (Peeler 00:34:28). Thus, modern Ainu strives to preserve their social order, however, the economic situation in modern conditions is deteriorating for them.

Despite the long period of oppression of the Ainu, the government is now trying to support the economy of their population in Hokkaido. The modern representative of the people is engaged in lumber, mining, commercial fishing, or agriculture (Peeler 00:04:17). Also, due to the growing interest of foreigners and the Japanese themselves in the culture of the Ainu, many of them are engaged in cultural activities to attract tourism, which is also a source of income (Peeler 00:05:03). It is mentioned, unlike in the past, “supporting the family through the century-old ancestral practices is not easy” (South China Morning Post 00:01:59). Thus, modern representatives of the people have to abandon traditional occupations to ensure their survival. The economic and social life of the community is under the control of Hokkaido Prefecture, which is an additional obstacle to the economic development of the Ainu.

Living in Japan, most Ainu speaks Japanese in their daily lives. However, the people have their language, which is “considered an isolated language, and it is not related to Japanese” (Peeler 00:15:47). Since traditionally there was no written Ainu language, their history and culture were transmitted orally. However, in 2000, the Japanese government allowed the people to use as signs of writing “small case katakana and half-voices sounds” (Peeler 00:16:04). At the moment, the Ainu language is endangered, as the Japanese colonizers forced Ainu children to learn traditional Japanese language in schools. Nevertheless, cultural organizations and activists try to preserve and transmit the language of the people among the inhabitants of the island. Most of the native speakers are elderly people who took it from their parents. However, it is mentioned that often parents forbade children to learn the language, as they feared discrimination (Peeler 00:15:03). Thus, the language is an important part of the cultural identity of the Ainu, which they have managed to preserve.

The people practice animism and believe that all living creatures have an inner spirit, which after death goes to the deities. Thus, hunting for them is a ritual activity and is performed not only for survival but also for sacrifices (Allorah). Ainu worships a bear, as the animal is the strongest predator, next to which they have to exist for many centuries. Killing the animal while hunting is also a ritual, as is a special festival held in its honor (Allorah). The deities of the sea are also of particular importance to the Ainu, as fishing is a traditional activity for them. Modern Ainu is less faithful to their religious traditions, as they are less engaged in hunting and fishing. However, they strive to preserve them as part of their identity and cultural heritage.

Due to the continuous assimilation policy, for a long time, the people were not recognized as indigenous which deprived them of certain rights. In 2008, the people were recognized as indigenous and a policy of maintaining and preserving their cultural heritage began to develop (Takeshi). However, the laws passed by the Japanese government regarding the Ainu do not give them such important rights as special conditions for fishing and land rights (Takeshi). Thus, although mainland Japan seeks to apologize for discrimination and misconception of the people in the past, with modern legislative steps, it is increasingly devaluing the identity of the Ainu.

Websites Review

Ainu’s issues are now attracting a lot of attention not only in Japan but all over the world. The article The precarious situation and complex status of the Ainu (2020) by Allorah contains useful information about the history, traditions, and culture of the people. The author of the article is an academic who is also interested in anthropology, theology, and philosophy. The material is presented in accessible language but based on credible sources and research, which makes the audience wide. The article is extremely useful for getting acquainted with the historical and cultural aspects of the Ainu, and can be used by the audience interested in learning the people.

The most detailed material used is the documentary Have you heard about the Ainu? Elders of Japan’s indigenous people speak (2016) filmed by Dr. Kinko Ito. The author is a professor of sociology at the University of Arkansas in the United States. The film is a set of interviews with indigenous people of Hokkaido, telling about the culture and life of the Ainu. The material is extremely useful for a detailed acquaintance with the living culture of the people and its history and may be used by the audience striving for deeper knowledge about the people.

A critical look at modern people’s legislation is presented in No rights, no regret: new Ainu legislation short on substance (2019). The author is Higashimura Takeshi, a teacher at the School of International Development in Nagoya. In the article, he discusses the disadvantages of the laws passed in the last years aimed at restoring the rights of the Ainu. The information is useful for studying the political field of the people’s problems and the actions were taken by Japanese politicians and can be used by the audience interested in a legal debate.

The Ainu people are isolated and small in number, so it was not possible to find materials written directly by their representatives in English. However, there are interviews with indigenous people, one of them is Ainu still battling poverty and barriers to education, the representative says (2020). Tadashi Kato, who is the executive director of the Ainu Association of Hokkaido, discusses the causes and solutions to the poverty problems of modern Ainu. The material is useful for understanding what problems concern modern representatives of the people and can be used by the audience interested in social issues.

The video which can tell a lot about the modern life of Ainu and their issues is Japan’s indigenous Ainu people still hunting for acceptance of their ancestral traditions (2019). The video was posted by the South China Morning Post, however, the main character is an indigenous Ainu named Atsushi Monbetsu. The young man talks about the craft of hunting, its importance, and the desire of representatives to regain the opportunity to engage in traditional activities. The interview illustrates the problems of contemporary Ainu and their desire to preserve their identity. Both interviews since presented by two indigenous people emphasize the current everyday struggle of individuals, whereas other materials focus primarily on legislative measures and cultural overview.

Importance of the Internet for Indigenous Peoples

Various types of information can be found on the Internet, it is a place where people can exchange opinions on current issues and draw attention to them. This is an excellent tool for indigenous peoples because using it, they can tell society about their existence and problems. Without a global network, they would have to communicate exclusively with the authorities of the territory in which they live, but they are not always ready to help. Thus, the Internet allows indigenous peoples to claim their rights and try to find protection from the international community, preserving their traditional way of living and cultural diversity.

Works Cited

“Ainu still battling poverty and barriers to education, representative says.” The Japan Times, 2020, Web.

Allorah. “The precarious situation and complex status of the Ainu.” Soapboie, 2020, Web.

“Have you heard about the Ainu? Elders of Japan’s indigenous people speak.” YouTube, uploaded by K. I. Peeler, 2016, Web.

“Japan’s indigenous Ainu people still hunting for acceptance of their ancestral traditions.” YouTube, uploaded by South China Morning Post, 2019. Web.

Takeshi, Higashimura. “No rights, no regret: New Ainu legislation short on substance”. Nippon, 2019, Web.

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Ainu People of Japan

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