Ainu People
The Ainu's tense relationship with Japan
An insightful report on racial discrimination in Japan.The Ainu people of the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, different in appearance and language, have suffered more than a century of discrimination.
A small boy denies his Ainu ancestry for fear of being bullied in a society where conformity is valued above all else. It's a familiar story. " It is not easy living in this society. We get the most dangerous and unstable jobs. We’re used and thrown away, like toilet paper. This is the reality for the Ainu. It hasn’t improved at all." They are denied their traditional fishing rights, their sacred sites are being destroyed and tourists come to gawk at their culture in museums. Now, the Ainu are fighting back. They have at last won a seat in the Japanese parliament and many are re-learning the Ainu tongue. The Ainu are struggling to preserve their unique heritage in the face of an urbanised and uncaring modern Japan.
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Produced by ABC Australia