An elderly Ainu man with a long beard and wearing a crown of wood fibers poses in traditional dress inside his rural home on the island of Hokkaido in northern Japan. His clothing has designs to ward off evil spirits. The 76-year-old man was one of only 300 pure-blooded Ainu (pronounced I-noo) still living when this historical 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 kept alive in special villages for tourists. The Ainu were officially recognized as indigenous people of Japan in 2008.
An elderly Ainu man with a long beard and wearing a crown of wood fibers poses in traditional dress inside his rural home on the island of Hokkaido in northern Japan. His clothing has designs to ward off evil spirits. The 76-year-old man was one of only 300 pure-blooded Ainu (pronounced I-noo) still living when he posed for this historical photograph in 1962. Since that time the Ainu have assimilated into Japanese society and their age-old crafts, customs and ceremonies are only kept alive in special villages for tourists. Earlier denigrated as “hairy aborigines,” the Ainu were officially recognized as indigenous people of Japan in 2008.
Size: 2700px × 4200px
Location: the island of Hokkaido, Japan, East Asia
Photo credit: © Michele and Tom Grimm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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