WThe Hokkaido is a breed of dog originating from Japan. Other names for the breed include Ainu-ken, Seta, Ainu dog. In Japan, its name is sometimes shortened to Dō-ken (道犬). The Hokkaido is native to the prefecture of the same name in Japan.
WIomante (イオマンテ), sometimes written as Iyomante (イヨマンテ), is an Ainu ceremony in which a brown bear is sacrificed. The word literally means "to send something/someone off". In some Ainu villages, it is a Blakiston's fish owl, rather than a bear, that is the subject of the ceremony. In Japanese, the ceremony is known as "sending off the bear" or, sometimes, "the bear festival" . In the modern day, the ceremony no longer involves the killing of an animal, but is performed for wild animals which die in accidents, or captive animals which die of old age.
W"Kankō Ainu" is the Japanese term for Ainu people who are considered to live or portray a traditional or pseudo-traditional depiction of the Ainu people and their lifestyle in order to cater to the tourism industry.
WA kotan is a traditional settlement of the Ainu people.
WThe Matagi are traditional winter hunters of the Tōhoku region of northern Japan, most famously today in the Ani area in Akita Prefecture, which is known for the Akita dogs. Afterwards, it spread to the Shirakami-Sanchi forest between Akita and Aomori, and other areas of Japan. Documented as a specialised group from the medieval period onwards, the Matagi continue to hunt deer and bear in the present day, and their culture has much in common with the bear worship of the Ainu people.
WThe matanpushi is a traditional garment worn by the Ainu people of Japan. Complementing the sapanpe - which is worn by men - the matanpushi is usually worn by women in modern Ainu ceremonies, although originally it was a common facet of Ainu fashion among men.
WOmusha (オムシャ), also umusa or umsa, was an Ainu greeting ritual that, like the related uimamu (ウイマム), became a ceremonial—of trade—full of the political symbolism of subservience, to the Matsumae Domain.
WThe sapanpe is a ritual crown worn by adult men during traditional Ainu ceremonies. It is complemented by the matanpushi, which is worn mostly by women. It is believed to impart great power to the one who wears it.
WA tamasay is a bead necklace worn by Ainu women for special occasions.