Japan Set to Recognize Ainu People

Japan's long-suffering Ainu people are finally getting their due as Japanese lawmakers passed a bill that recognizes the ethnic minority as an Indigenous People. The Ainu who mostly live in Hokkaido has long been subject to oppressive measures of discrimination and forced assimilation going back to the start of the Meiji Era. While an earlier bill passed in 1997 to preserve the Ainu culture, many living Ainu has lost must of their cultural traditions. This new bill is aimed at granting the Ainu more rights and respect. The government of Japan further plans to build a National Ainu Museum in Shiaroi, Hokkaido. With the languages and customs of indigenous people's under threat around the world, this is a long overdue step in the right direction.