Paper short abstract:

This presentation tries to argue what are the necessary measures in order to restore the rights of the Ainu people.

Paper long abstract:

The Ainu people have demanded the Government of Japan to restore their rights and to introduce Indigenous Peoples' bill in accordance with the international human rights standards, and have attended the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations since 1986. Responding to their demands, the Government of Japan introduced Act on the Promotion of Ainu Culture in 1997 and recognized Ainu people as an indigenous people in the Diet in 2008, after the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2007. The situation of Ainu people has improved to some extent.

However, even after the recognition of the Ainu people as an indigenous people, the Government has done little to introduce the Indigenous peoples' bill, to discuss the way to restitute and compensate the deprivation of land and resources and to establish the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which are central to the restoration of Ainu people's rights. In order to accomplish this, the Government should make clear the historical responsibility on deprivation of their lands, ban on the traditional livelihood, enforcement of slavery, exploitation and impoverishment by forced relocations, and total ban on their ethnic culture including their language, traditions, customs and religion. In this presentation, I am going to argue what are the necessary measures in order to restore the rights of Ainu People.