Some books are published before the happy ending even happens, which can give readers the wrong impression. So it is with this otherwise enlightening story of Ainu history and culture.
"Land of Elms" was originally written in Japanese in 1994, in an atmosphere of political activism. At that time, a campaign was under way to get official recognition for the Ainu as an indigenous people, and a new law was being considered in the Diet to promote Ainu culture. Well, both goals were reached in mid-1997. The angry tone of this book, now translated into English, therefore seems old.
Of course there is still a long way to go before the Ainu people get all the rights and respect they deserve, but this is no time for fierce protests or impassioned pleas. This is a new era in which we want to celebrate Ainu culture while working to rebuild and restore Ainu life as much as possible.