ainu

ENTERTAINMENT

Explore Japanese Art in an Online, 3D Virtual Space

This virtual space allows a visitor to freely explore the museum, strolling from striking paintings to gorgeous prints.

JAPANESE LANGUAGE

The Life and Legacy of Ainu-Japanese Translator Chiri Yukie

Only 19 when she passed away, indigenous Ainu translator Chiri Yukie left behind an invaluable legacy for her people and the world.

CULTURE

Hajichi: The Banned Traditional Tattoos of Okinawa

These tattoos, native to the Ryukyuan people, were once banned from being practiced. Now, they're making a comeback.

RACE IN JAPAN

Japanese News Program Apologizes for Calling Ainu “Dogs”

News Show "Sukkiri" caught flak on social media after airing a discriminatory joke towards the Ainu people.

HISTORY

Becoming Japanese: The Story of the Indigenous Uilta of Sakhalin

How the Japanese government attempted to erase and assimilate a small indigenous people - in one case, even using them as spies.

ENTERTAINMENT

Review: “Ainu Mosir” Paints Reality of Japan’s Northern Indigenous People

A film currently streaming on Netflix provides a sensitive and nuanced introduction to the modern lives of the Ainu people.

CULTURE

Ancestral Ainu Remains Returned by Tokyo University

A long fight by Japan's indigenous Ainu results in a hard-won victory - but much more remains to be done.

RACE IN JAPAN

China, the Japanese Far Right, and COVID-19

As xenophobia ramps up during COVID-19, we take a deep dive into the history of the Japanese image of a dangerous, "anti-Japanese"…