The Ainu People

"Ainu" means "human." We consider things useful to us or beyond our control as "kamuy"(gods). In daily life, we prayed to and performed ceremonies for the gods. These gods include: "nature" gods, such as of fire, water, wind and thunder. The word "Ainu" refers to the opposite of these gods.

About 300 B.C., Honshu (Japan's mainland) experienced the Yayoi Period. Between the Yayoi and Muromachi Periods, Hokkaido experienced periods of earthenware cultures, such as the Zoku-Jomon Period, the Satsumon Period, and the Okhotsk Culture.

The "Ainu Culture" extended from about 1400 to the early 1700 s. According to one theory, the Satsumon Culture developed into the Ainu Culture through the influence of the Okhotsk Culture.

However, this theory is not a proven one. In the mid-1400 s, the Japanese extended their influence over