China Exploits the Ainu Issue — What Do Textbooks Actually Say?

Marking the Human Rights Day on December 10, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Japan "continues to violate the rights of indigenous peoples such as the Ainu and Ryukyuans and has introduced discriminatory policies against foreigners."

The question was posed by a reporter from China's state-run Xinhua News Agency during a regular press briefing. It is entirely plausible that the groundwork had been laid in advance to prompt such a question, aiming to convey Beijing's position.

In any case, Beijing is seeking to use the Ainu as a tool for international propaganda targeting Japan.

The Japanese government, for its part, recognizes the Ainu as an indigenous people. This is a fact explicitly stated in the Ainu Promotion Act, enacted in 2019.

Rethinking the Ainu Narrative

Internationally, however, the concept of "indigenous peoples" is not clearly defined and lacks a widely accepted standard.

When it comes to the Ainu, manga and other forms of popular media can easily give the impression that their appearance and culture are markedly different from those of other Japanese.

In reality, they have had extensive interactions with people living south of Honshu from ancient times. Back then, in fact, many also resided in Honshu itself.

In the Ainu language, Ainu literally means human being.

Some researchers argue that the Meiji-era Hokkaido Former Aborigines Protection Act (1899) subjected the Ainu to stricter forms of classification precisely to place them under state protection.

What the Textbooks Actually Say

How do Japanese school textbooks describe the Ainu?

Teikoku Shoin, a Japanese textbook publisher, states under the heading Rule over the Ryukyu Kingdom and the Ainu People (p 130–131): "The Ainu people inhabited many lands in Ezo, while the Oshima Peninsula in the southwest contained Japanese settlements inhabited by the Japanese people of the Matsumae Domain."

It features a separate section titled Life of the Ainu People (p 133), with an explanatory passage noting that "While influencing Japanese culture and maintaining ties with neighboring countries and regions such as China, the Ainu people built their own unique culture."

Yamakawa Publishing also has a special section titled The History and Culture of the Ainu People (p 90–91). It explains how "the world of the Ainu people, who lived by hunting, fishing, and trade, spread across the northern part of the Japanese archipelago."

Yamakawa's textbook emphasizes the Ainu's flourishing trade with neighboring countries and notes that place names derived from the Ainu language remain widespread across present-day Japan.

A footnote states that "the Ainu people also resided in the northern part of the Tohoku region, including the Tsugaru Peninsula and the Shimokita Peninsula" (p 81), suggesting that the history is more complex than a simple dichotomy between the Ainu and the Japanese.

Beyond a Simple Ethnic Divide

Manabisha, another textbook publisher, describes in its main text "the northern trade carried out by the Ainu people" (p 81). Elsewhere, it refers to "the Ainu people gathering kelp" and "the Ainu people engaging in combat" (p 114), as well as "the Ainu people who learned Japanese" (p 176).

While the book mentions "the pride of the Ainu people as an ethnic group" (p 176), it refrains from describing them as a separate ethnic group. This may be intended to prevent wording that could imply that the Ainu are separate from the Japanese people.

Meanwhile, Ikuhosha uses the heading Trade of the Ainu People (p 87). The main text consistently refers to them simply as "the Ainu people" in its account of trade between the 13th and 15th centuries.

Furthermore, in its discussion of the Meiji period, the text explains that "as development progressed, the Ainu people lost their land and fishing grounds, faced hardship in their livelihoods, and gradually lost their unique culture" (p 176).

Acknowledging History, Preventing Misuse

Historically, particularly from the Meiji era onward, the Ainu people experienced grave hardships, including the suppression of their traditional hunting culture and restrictions on marriage.

In recognition of this history, the Japanese government has advanced policies aimed at preventing discrimination.

At the same time, Japanese textbook publishers have made concerted efforts to detail a history of exchanges dating back to ancient times.

Going forward, school education based on these textbooks can help avoid creating the impression that Japan conquered a separate foreign people. This cumulative effort could also halt the Chinese government from finding opportunities to exploit the issue.

Author: Takahiro Ohmori, The Sankei Shimbun

(Read this in Japanese)