A bearded Ainu man and three women pose in traditional dress with Ainu souvenirs they sell in a native home that is open to tourists on the island of Hokkaido in northern Japan. Behind them are lacquerware casks that hold family treasures. The oldest woman, age 84, has a tattoo around her mouth that resembles a mustache. The painful tradition of rubbing soot into cuts in the skin during the childhood of Ainu girls to ward off evil spirits has since been outlawed by the Japanese government. These were 4 of only 300 pure-blooded Ainu still living when this historical photograph was taken in 1962
A bearded Ainu man and three women pose in traditional dress with Ainu souvenirs they sell in a native home that is open to tourists on the island of Hokkaido in northern Japan. Behind them are lacquerware casks that hold family treasures. The oldest woman, age 84, has a tattoo around her mouth that resembles a mustache. The painful tradition of rubbing soot into cuts in the skin during the childhood of Ainu girls to ward off evil spirits has since been outlawed by the Japanese government. The tattooed woman was one of only 300 pure-blooded Ainu (pronounced I-noo) still living when this historic photograph was taken in 1962. Since that time the Ainu have assimilated into Japanese society and their age-old crafts, customs and ceremonies are only seen today in special tourist villages. The Ainu were officially recognized as indigenous people of Japan in 2008.
Size: 3904px × 2550px
Location: island of Hokkaido, northern Japan, East Asia
Photo credit: © Michele and Tom Grimm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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