History

The history of the Ainu is known from stories passed down orally by the Ainu themselves and from writings left by neighboring peoples. This history should be understood in terms of a time period stretching from the Paleolithic period to the modern day, and also in terms of expansion and interaction with surrounding peoples. As such, it is important to consider this history as a continuous progression through the ages, rather than the traditional characterization, in which the Ainu culture is considered to have been created between the 9th and 13th centuries.