2. FUN FACTS:
The Ainu originally lived in a region including Sakhalin
Island near the mouth of the Amur River, the Kurile
Islands, southern Kamchatka, and Hokkaido, today the
northern island of Japan.
DNA research shows that Ainu are the direct descendants of
the Jomon, the ancient people who created Japan's first
culture and one of the world's oldest extant potteries.
This means that the Ainu and present-day Japanese are
biologically related.
They made their living by fishing and hunting, including for
sea mammals.
3. MATERIAL CULTURE:
All Ainu art was made to please the gods, but
the art could never be made in the image of any
of the spiritual gods except for special
ceremonial items.
In the decorative art of the Ainu, the bark- and
wood-carving and bark layering, and the
embroidery or layering of hides, fish skins and
furs reached a quit remarkable level.
The tattooed mouth among the Ainu women
was part of their traditional decorations and
pointed to the fact that its wearer was
marriageable.
4. NONMATERIAL CULTURE:
They are especially well known for the bear
ceremony, an important part of their religious rituals.
The bear is used as an important symbol in Ainu
Culture and represents “the god of mountains”.
They used dogs for hunting, as sled dogs and in their
rituals.
All living-beings and many natural objects
(rivers, volcanoes, fire, lightning, trees, etc) were
endowed with a spirit.
When a living being dies, only the material part is
gone; the spirit is freed and this spirit can be good or
evil, harming living beings, including people
5. LANGUAGE:
The question of the origin of the Ainu
language is controversial.
Due to no existence of a written record of
Ainu language.
Various theories of the origin and relationship
of Ainu with language including Native
American and Pacific Rim languages
6. NORMS AND VALUES:
Women were largely independent until marrying.
After marriage, they were under men's will.
Women went to war and could speak their
opinions during the councils of the village
Ainu women adorned their hands, forehead, arms
and mouth outline with blue tattoos.
Women worked the fields, gathered
wood, cooked, span, wove, made clothes, cared
and educated the kids.
Children were given the the least attention.
7. WORKCITED:
Dubrevil, Chisato. “The Ainu and Their
Culture.” The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan
Focus. Sept. 2012. Web. 5 Feb. 2013.
“Ainu People.” The Ainu, Their Land and
Culture. Jan. 2013. Web. 5 Feb. 2013.
