Ainu

By Arctic Studies Center (National Museum of Natural History),

Book cover of Ainu: Spirit of a Northern People

Book description

As soon as the Ainu became known outside Japan in the early 1800s, scholars recognized that their history was different from that of surrounding Japanese, Korean, and Siberian peoples. This book presents a broad range of contemporary scholarship on Ainu studies by leading European, American, and Japanese scholars, and by…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Ainu as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This one might seem a bit of a stretch. If you are familiar with the Ainu you know they are an ethnic minority from Japan’s northern island, Hokkaido, whose culture exhibits many similarities to that of native Americans from the Pacific Northwest. So why would a book about the Ainu have anything to do with foreign relations or Japan in world history? Well, because Hokkaido was originally not part of Japan and the Ainu were independent of their southern neighbors. This book, an exhibition catalogue, is not only the single best source of information in English about Ainu history and…

From Bruce's list on early Japan in world history.

If you love Ainu...

Ad

Book cover of I Am Taurus

I Am Taurus By Stephen Palmer,

The constellation we know as Taurus goes all the way back to cave paintings of aurochs at Lascaux. This book traces the story of the bull in the sky, a journey through the history of what has become known as the sacred bull.

Each of the sections is written from…

Want books like Ainu?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Ainu.

Browse books like Ainu

Book cover of They Came to Japan: An Anthology of European Reports on Japan, 1543-1640
Book cover of Khubilai Khan’s Lost Fleet: In Search of a Legendary Armada
Book cover of Ennin's Travels in T'ang China

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,581

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Japan, British Columbia, and presidential biography?

Japan 517 books
British Columbia 55 books