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indigenous people

Tokyo popup shop sells Japanese indigenous Ainu-inspired tableware for limited time

The collaboration also involves a steel maker in the business for 107 years.

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Journey through Ainu myth in the old-meets-new forest night walk Kamuy Lumina experience

This nighttime cultural experience in Hokkaido combines nature, storytelling, and digital art to immerse visitors in the stories of the Ainu.

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Everything you wanted to know about the Ainu, with photos and video【Rocketpedia】

Bear sacrifice, female tattooing and fish-skin boots are all hallmarks of Ainu culture. Join us as we learn about Japan’s indigenous people and watch an intriguing video about their way of life.

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The little-known inspiration for Princess Mononoke: A manga about a tribe in Papua New Guinea

It’s no secret that Hayao Miyazaki and his team of animators find inspiration for Studio Ghibli’s movies all over the place. Ponyo’s setting was inspired by a harbor town in Japan, Spirited Away’s world was based on a location in Taiwan, and Princess Mononoke’s forest came from Japan’s Yakushima Island.

But it was recently brought to light that a lot of inspiration for Ghibli’s movies came from a more innocuous place: a manga. The title is Mudmen, named after the Asaro Mudmen of Papua New Guinea, where the manga takes place.

Who are these “mudmen” and where do their inspirations crop up in Ghibli films? Read on to find out!

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