( CNN ) '' Are you scared when you have to go back to the mountain at night ? '' It 's a not a question guides at a museum would usually be asked , but it 's happened to those at the outdoor Ainu Museum and cultural village in Hokkaido , Japan 's northernmost and second-largest island . The museum is dedicated to the culture of the Ainu people , an ethnic group that not many -- even in Japan itself -- know much about . For weary guides at the museum , who live close to the museum in Shiraoi , an hour 's drive from the city of Sapporo ( but not in primitive huts on the hillside ) , being able to tell visitors about their unique heritage and language is worth the occasional muddleheaded question . Brutal hunting methods . The Ainu people are the indigenous inhabitants of Hokkaido . They 're also present on Sakhalin , the island off the east coast of Russia , as well as northern Honshu , Japan 's biggest island . Meeting a modern day Ainu is n't common . Estimates put the population of Ainu at around 24,000 , and finding any who can speak the critically endangered language fluently is harder still : the Endangered Language Project puts the number of native speakers at just 10 . Located outside the small town of Shiraoi ( itself an Ainu word meaning `` place with many horseflies '' ) , the museum is a re-creation of an Ainu village on the shores of Lake Poroto . Visitors are immediately greeted by a 30-foot wooden statue of a bearded Ainu chief . From this stoic totem they can stroll among a series of thatched houses and botanical gardens , getting a glimpse of Ainu traditions stretching back about 1,000 years . Museum staff with Ainu heritage host regular displays of traditional mouth harp ( known as a `` mukkur '' ) playing , singing and dancing . They also explain the ways simple homes were decorated and colorful clothing was made from the natural materials of the areas , from bark to animal hide ( including some natty salmon-skin boots ) . The Ainu of centuries ago had an oral tradition . Animistic beliefs and worship of fire dominated daily life and Ainu culture . Numerous rituals were enacted before younger Ainu were allowed to take on the rugged landscape of Hokkaido on hunts or fishing trips . The area 's major fauna , like bears and wolves were revered , yet hunting was the norm ( some visitors may be put off by the caged brown bears kept on the site that can be fed biscuits for 100 yen , or less than a dollar ) and deer could be hunted . Using techniques that might seem brutal by today 's attitudes to animal rights , herds would be chased off a cliff before being clubbed to death . Harsh life for Ainu . If survival in Hokkaido was harsh centuries ago , life for modern day Ainu in Japan has not been easy either . The Japanese government did not formally recognize the Ainu as indigenous to Japan , with a distinct language and culture , until 2008 , while the westernization of Japan in the Meiji era from 1868 to 1912 lead to greater integration with mainstream Japanese culture . `` Ainu are in difficult economic and social position , '' says Shunwa Honda , a former professor of the Open University of Japan and a scholar of indigenous ethnic groups . `` Twice the number of Ainu are on social welfare compared to the majority Japanese population . Education levels are much lower and they have economic restraints . '' While the museum and recreated village presents a vivid reconstruction of Ainu life , Honda thinks that more typical museums can do better to link tradition and heritage to the modern day Ainu life . `` Many Ainu are also reluctant to say they are Ainu . It 's a problem of discrimination that lies under the surface , '' says Honda . New moves to raise awareness . However there are signs that the Japanese government may be making an effort to understand the challenges faced by the country 's minority groups . In August last year it was reported that first nationwide survey of discrimination against Ainu people would take place in 2015 . Educating the public is part of the mission of the museum and plans are in place for a new , more modern Ainu cultural center on the other shore of Lake Poroto in time for the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020 . According to Honda debate continues over the emphasis of the new center . `` Should it continue to highlight the Ainu culture in a historical context and be in danger of appearing irrelevant or should it do what the Smithsonian has done for Native Americans and show the situation for Ainu today ? '' he asks . For now visitors to Shiraoi 's Ainu Museum can get a glimpse into the rugged life lived by the area 's indigenous inhabitants while modern Japan tries to find a comfortable place for their cultural legacy . Ainu Museum , 2-3-4 , Shiraoi-cho , Shiraoi-gun , Hokkaido , Japan ; +81 144 82 3914 ; daily 8:45 a.m.-5 p.m. ( closed December 29-January 5 ) ; tickets JPY800 ( $ 7 ) per adult .
The Museum is a re - creation of an outdoor museum of Japan 's indigenous people . There are about 300 Ainu people but only about 100 Ainu speakers . They lead a relatively hard life compared to other Japanese people today .