Topic Reading-Vol.1059-3/6/2015

Dear MEL School’s Topic Readers,

Japan's hidden people: Ainu try to keep ancient traditions alive

There are people living in the northernmost island of Japan, Hokkaido. They are called the Ainu, who are native to the land before people from the Honshu Island settled in over centuries ago. They had kept their simple life style to live in and enjoy the produce of nature, such as hunting and fishing, until Meiji restoration in the late 19^th century. Now, though they are the indigenous to the island, they are a minority group with only a population of 24,000. Their cultures and traditions have been missed and language is nearly extinct with only a dozen or less speakers alive.

How come these people were put aside from the growth and prosperity that Japan has enjoyed for the last century and a half?

Enjoy reading and learning about the people and their lives in the northernmost island of Japan.

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/02/09/travel/cnngo-travel-hokkaido-ainu/index.html