They are thought to have been related to the Ainu people.
The Ainu people believed that they were born from the union of a wolflike creature and a goddess.
Around 10% of the Ainu people who speak the language are considered passive speakers.
Shinda is the fertility god of the Ainu people.
They are sacred to the Ainu people and in Japanese Shinto.
It was completed in March 1997, despite objections from the local Ainu people.
Kutchan's name comes from the language of the Hokkaidō's native Ainu people.
He lived amongst the Ainu people and published works on their language and culture.
In the early modern times, the Ainu people were forced to labor at the fishing grounds of the Japanese.
Ikupasuy are carved prayer sticks used by the Ainu people.