a big reaction to my speech. In order not to cause any misunderstanding, I decided I will no longer use that word. It is regrettable that the word was interpreted in the way it was." Ainu The Ainu people of Japan are considered to be the aboriginals of Northern Japan; during the Meiji period, they were considered 'former aboriginals.' The native group of Japan, namely the Ainu, are a group estimated to be 25,000 of the entire population in Japan. They have maintained their language of Ainu among 15 families. Although the population of Ainu people in Japan is officially recorded as 25,000, the actual population is thought of to be of a higher number: 150,000. Many genetically Ainu individuals don't identify as Ainu or they identify as Japanese in order to avoid discrimination within society, the workplace, and educational institutions. As of 2019, the Ainu people are now officially recognized as indigenous people of Japan. The Ainu are an indigenous group mainly living in Hokkaidō, with some also living in modern-day Russia. At present, the official Japanese government estimate of the population is 25,000, though this number has been disputed with unofficial estimates of upwards of 200,000. For much of Japanese history, the Ainu were the main inhabitants of Hokkaido. However, as a result of Japanese migration into the island after 1869, the Ainu were largely displaced and assimilated. Due to Meiji era policies, the Ainu were evicted from their traditional homelands and their cultural practices were outlawed. Official recognition of the Ainu as an indigenous group occurred over a century later on June 6, 2008, as a result of a resolution passed by the government of Japan, which recognized both their cultural differences and their past struggles. Ryukyuan The Ryukyuan people lived in an independent kingdom until it became a vassal of Japan's Satsuma Domain in 1609. The kingdom, however, retained a degree of autonomy until 1879 when the islands were officially annexed by Japan as Okinawa Prefecture. They are now Japan's largest minority group, with 1.3 million living in Okinawa and 300,000 living in other areas of Japan. The Okinawan language, the most widely spoken Ryukyuan language, is related to Japanese, the two being in the Japonic languages. Ryukyuan languages were heavily suppressed through a policy of forced assimilation throughout the former Ryukyu Kingdom after it was annexed in 1879. With only Japanese taught in schools and