In the section below of Isabella Bird’s account of the Ainu (Unbeaten Tracks in Japan, p. 275), she deals with the most famous aspect of the religion – the cult of the bear. Most people today think of … Read the rest
Category: Hokkaido (Page 2 of 3)
This is the second part of a series based around the writings of the remarkable Isabella Bird, who visited Japan in 1878. In Part One she is taken by some Ainu villagers to visit a hill shrine dedicated to Yoshitsune, … Read the rest
The Ainu religion dates back further than Shinto and has much in common. Indeed, it’s sometimes said that it was the basis from which Shinto developed. The similarities are at once apparent for the Ainu worshipped kamuy… Read the rest
Green Shinto members will be aware that as a supporter of animal rights we are appalled at some of the treatment of animals in Japan, and in particular at places related to Shinto festivals. Far from speaking out against animal … Read the rest
Regular readers of Green Shinto will know that we previously featured the cruel and inhumane conditions in which bears at the Ainu Museum in Hokkaido are being kept. This is particularly egregious because of the deep connection of bears with … Read the rest
The following piece comes from Green Shinto reader, Jann Williams. As a professor of Ecology, she has expertise in environmental matters and a concern with the welfare of animals. Given the deep spirituality of the Ainu, it’s highly unfortunate … Read the rest
Though they are few in number now, the Ainu of Hokkaido have great appeal to some because of their ancient traditions. Ethnologists believe they are the remnant of Japan’s original Jomon people, and their spiritual heritage reaches far … Read the rest