Ainu is considered as a Japanese indigenous group that has lived mainly in Hokkaido for centuries. Ainu way of living is based on animist faith which relies heavily on fishing and hunting. Throughout history, Ainu suffered from discrimination and deprivation of the nature from Japanese society. Still being the minority today, Ainu faces challenges to preserve its culture.

　
In Meiji Era (1868-1912), the Japanese government took a paternalistic approach to assimilating the Ainu people making them blend in as Japanese. Although they were registered in Japan’s official family registration records as Japanese citizens, they were also designated as "former" Ainu, making those with Ainu roots that much visible.
In 1899, under the pretext of "protection", Hokkaido Former Aborigines Protection Act attempted to promote farming instead of fishing and hunting (which is an essential part of Ainu culture) to Ainu. The Meiji Era law also forced Ainu to go to school and manipulated their lands forcing Ainu into Japanese society.
In 1947, postwar constitution prohibited discrimination against the Ainu legally by removing the "former" designation from Ainu. But it was too late. Ainu were already being discriminated at school and workplace.
In 1997, an Ainu culture promotion law urged the government to protect Ainu culture but Ainu were no longer acknowledged as Japanese indigenous people.
Finally in 2019, Japan enacts Ainu as Japan's indigenous for the first time in history, focusing on respecting Ainu identity and blood lineage.

Although, Ainu has been enacted as indigineus with promising claims from the government (the law established in 2019: to include clauses that oblige the government to adopt policies to support and protect the cultural identity of the Ainu and ban discrimination against them) there are still concerns for Ainu in terms of passing down and preserving their culture and living as they wish to with Mother Nature.
A government survey held in 2015, shows 72% of 1,000 Ainu respondents still believed they were being discriminated against whereas 17.9% of Japanese (non Ainu) believe Ainu are still being discriminated. The participants who are Ainu said they feel discriminated in many parts in their daily life. At school, when they job hunt, in marriage and love life in general. These respondents said they wish that people just learned more about the history of Ainu. They wish people tried to understand them.

Hatakeyama Satoshi (77) president of Ainu association explains his side of how it is like to be an Ainu (watch). He doesn't feel it is right that Ainu need permission from the government to fish salmon, a special fish for Ainu in which their god dwells providing people with staple food. It is also used as an offering to their god. Because the Police often stop him from fishing, his family has no choice but to use other type of fish as an offering other fisherman gives him. Being born Ainu, Satoshi says he was bullied at school all the time and couldn't focus on his studies. People would say "there comes the Ainu, he stinks". Being under this pressure he dropped out of school when he was 14 years old. From then on, he decided to hide his Ainu ethnicity and live as a fisherman. Only after he turned 50, he decided to embrace his Ainu identity and make Ainu known to people when his older brother passed away. The police and city hall officials often pay visits to his house to stop him from trying to brake the "rules". What is law for Japanese and the government, is simply Mother Nature and a sacred culture for Ainu.

His story represents stories of many Ainu. The discrimination from Japanese (their own nationality), the battle with the law, the adjustments to make money to survive (no longer being able to hunt and fish) etc...
Many Ainu seem to no longer pass down the Ainu culture to their children just so they have a better future avoiding discrimination. But many other Ainu are fighting to preserve the culture like Satoshi.

With the 2020 Olympics approaching, the government plans to establish an Ainu museum but many are afraid Ainu will only be a product to sing and dance to entertain visitors. Instead of getting the right to preserve its culture, Ainu might end up as a Japanese cultural symbol.

　The reality is that even Japanese themselves do not have knowledge or awareness of Ainu culture. Therefore, no one really understand them. I myself grew up in Japan. The only time Ainu came up in my classroom was when I was about 12 in history class. We were taught how Ainu were considered as indigenous people, where they came from and how their language was dying. Other than that, like myself, majority of Japanese children do not get to learn about Ainu culture. Funny thing is I got to learn about the Aborigine people and their challenges and Thanks giving and Indians in English class but we never really learned anything about Ainu in any class.
It seems there are a few Ainu villages and museum in Hokkaido, Sapporo but I wouldn't say it is well known nor of people's interest.
Being a minority in a homogeneous society like Japan can be difficult. But there might be hope if more people, especially Japanese learn more about Ainu culture.
"I have been Japanese for a long time. But Ainu is a part of me" says Yuki Riku (17) a proud young man who plays Ainu traditional instruments (watch). Like Riku many Ainu just hope to live freely and proud of what they are without being judged. Perhaps this can happen if we all get a little more informed about the Ainu culture.