Photo: Ainu with traditional weapons

[John Lindsey]

<center>http://www.e-budo.com/pics/Ainuclan.jpg</center>

Photo provided by RC Hartmann.

[Firedan]

What or more like who are "Ainu"?

Just curious

Dan Fernandez

[kusanku]

The Ainu are the Genjumin- the 'original inhabitants' of Japan. The are white people who once lived throughout Japan but live mostly in Hokkaido today.

They have their own languages, their own culture, and their own religion unrlatted to anything of the Yamato or Japanese ethnic peoples, although the Ainu, like the Native Americans are Americans and Hmong are Chinese in China are in fact native Japanese.

Ainu are believed also to comprise part of the ethnic makeup or Formosans and Okinawans.

Kusanku

[Firedan]

Thank you Sir!

Dan

[adepss]

I'm not sure you can say that the ainu are white people per se, but there is a link with polynesians and a caucasian souce that nobody can be absolutely certain about.

[George Kohler]

Originally posted by adepss
I'm not sure you can say that the ainu are white people per se, but there is a link with polynesians and a caucasian souce that nobody can be absolutely certain about.

Andrew,

it is e-budo policy to place your full name on your posts.

[jchamilton]

Look ..look very close.The guy second from our left has two left feet..seriously.Look at the shape of the foot from the ankle down!!Perhaps this is why his feet are farther apart than the others?He is the only one with his feet covered......

Are there more pictures of Ainu people in you possession John or George?I wouldn't mind seeing a picture or two of modern Ainu.Does anybody have any they care to share?

[jchamilton]

I meant right feet..not left in the previous post.Sorry it is just common place to say such a phrase using left instead of right.

[George Kohler]

Hi John,

I do have some pics of Ainu, but they are from an article in JAMA (Journal of Asain Martial Arts), so I don't know if I can post them here. BTW, the picture above is also in this same article.

[Rocket]

Interesting stuff! When I was stationed at Misawa Air Base, Tohoku (Northern) Japan from 1997-1999, I recall visiting several historical sites that made mention of the Ainu. These mentionings usually referred to pitched battles between the Ainu and the present day inhabitants of Japan (i.e., the non-Ainu inhabitants). Reminded me a great deal of the "Indian Wars" in the United States.

[neb]

interesting that the ainu have so much faical hair, when the japanese grow next to none

[Azamat Oulbachev]

nice photo

[AAC]

good pic...

[George Kohler]

link fixed

[Andy Watson]

While I was living in Japan I was lent a book by a friend about how the Japanese society has extended prejudice and hostility to certain ethnic groups within it's country. There was an article about the only Ainu member of the Japanese Parliament. After years of fighting to get representation and a position for the Ainu people, this MP (I can't remember his name) finally got his place.

As he was elected to position he did an address speech...which he did completely in the Ainu language of which no one else could understand.

It is difficult to describe the story as I read it some years ago but it was one of the few things I had read before which brought a tear to the eye and a lump to the throat.

[Geoff]

There was a good article with pics on the Ainu in National Geographic a few years back. Also, early missionary accounts are extant and may be found in the Human Research Area Files (available online or in old hardcopy at many university libraries).

The Ainu bear cult/shamanism is supposed to similar to that of some Siberian groups. Very interesting stuff.


Geoff Wingard

[ren]

I'm no expert but my recent interest in native cultures has lead me to study just a bit about the various native peoples of Japan and its islands.

The Ainu minzoku are native to Hokkaido and the northern islands of Japan.
The Ryukyu minzoku are native to Okinawa and the southern islands of Japan.
There is a distinct difference between the two groups and thier language.
Although I have only heard from one source and have yet to verify it would appear that the original inhabitants of mainland (Honshu) Japan were known as the Matagi minzoku.

fyi - 'Minzoku' (–¯‘°) just means native or ordinary peoples.

The Ainu minzoku were known for trading feathers with Honshu arrow craftsmen.

Here is a link to a site about the Ainu minzoku for those interested.

http://www.ainu-museum.or.jp/english/english.html

[dakotajudo]

IIRC, on a PBS documentary a few months back, there was described a skull found in a cave along the American coast. When they reconstructed the face (i.e. putting clay flesh over the skull) the result looked just like Jean-Luc Picard/Patrick Stewart (at least, to me).

Anyway, the skull was most similar to the Ainu (and one other group - I forget - maybe Basque?).

There appears to have been 2, maybe 3 distinct migrations from Asia to the Americas. The earlier wave is more like the Ainu, the later waves were the ancestors of those now called Native Americans.

[Kyukage]

Originally posted by Geoff The Ainu bear cult/shamanism is supposed to similar to that of some Siberian groups. Very interesting stuff.

The Ainu are closely related to the Osloveth, Ossessian, Taigut, Chinkoulet, Muoligai, and Bourchikoun, peoples of Siberia, and so their religious systems (and in specific shamanistic rituals) are extremely closely related, sharing many elements and many totemic elements including Bear and many others.

[bruceb]

The second guy from the right looks like Chuck Norris, and the Third guy from the right ... looks ... Just like me!

Spooky ... isn't it?

(Just Kidding ...)

Actually the third guy from the right is a dead ringer for a local dry-wall guy I know named Don Smith.

[hobbitbob]

Originally posted by dakotajudo
IIRC, on a PBS documentary a few months back, there was described a skull found in a cave along the American coast. When they reconstructed the face (i.e. putting clay flesh over the skull) the result looked just like Jean-Luc Picard/Patrick Stewart (at least, to me).


Thank the gods, I'm not the only person who thought that! :D

[chizikunbo]

They look a bit dangerous, I dont know that I woudl wnt to get on their bad side hehe:D

[Stany]

I have more photo's of Ainu
Some modern and some old ones :):D :p :p

[chizikunbo]

Originally posted by bruceb
The second guy from the right looks like Chuck Norris, and the Third guy from the right ... looks ... Just like me!

Spooky ... isn't it?

(Just Kidding ...)

Actually the third guy from the right is a dead ringer for a local dry-wall guy I know named Don Smith.
Very true and kind of spooky

[chizikunbo]

Originally posted by Stany
I have more photo's of Ainu
Some modern and some old ones :):D :p :p
I would like to see those sometime if you ever out them on the forum

[Stany]

enjoy

[Stany]

good one
one couple

[Stany]

forgot to attach the photo