AINU

This book brings together the photography of Ikeda Hiroshi, a Japanese photographer who dedicated over a decade to capturing images of members of the Ainu community in Hokkaido.

Through his extraordinary portraits, he skillfully documents the enduring ancient traditions of the indigenous people of northern Japan, as well as their daily lives within the framework of modern Japanese society.

In the book’s afterword, Ikeda remarked: “A decade has passed since 2008 when I started to frequent Hokkaido to take photographs of Ainu people. We drank and laughed, and at times bickered with each other. Now, these are the people I laugh with while reminiscing on those memories. I revelled in the encounters, and the partings saddened me; the photos seem to me like a mere afterthought.”

Ikeda Hiroshi (b. 1981) started working as a freelance photographer after studying the Swahili Language at the Osaka University of Foreign Studies. In 2008, he started documenting the lives of the Ainu people living in Hokkaido, which led to the publishing of his photobook, AINU, in 2019.

Size: W 23.5cm x L 30cm x 0.8cm

Hokkaidō

Hokkaidō is the northernmost of Japan's main islands, largely unspoiled, and the least densely populated. It is known for its national parks, numerous world-class ski resorts, delicious seafood and the distinct culture of the indigenous Ainu population. While the summers are comfortably mild, winters are cold. Sapporo, the largest city, is home to the annual Snow Festival.