A record of the daily lives of Ainu living in the Tokyo metropolitan area has been published as a photo collection.
Around 160 photos in "Ainu, at times Japanese" depict Ainu who are involved in traditional religious exercises, dancing and singing, and marriage ceremonies despite being far from their hometowns, mainly in Hokkaido.
"I have repeatedly visited Hokkaido to photograph Ainu as I considered it their home," said Makiko Ui, a Tokyo-based freelance photographer who shot the pictures between 1992 and 2008. "But I was surprised to know it is estimated that at least 5,000 Ainu live in and around Tokyo.