“The Ainu (アイヌ?), also called Aynu, Aino (アイノ), and in historical texts Ezo (蝦夷), are indigenous people or groups in Japan and Russia. Historically they spoke the Ainu language and related varieties and lived in Hokkaidō, the Kuril Islands, and much of Sakhalin. Most of those who identify themselves as Ainu still live in this same region, though the exact number of living Ainu is unknown. This is due to ethnic issues in Japan resulting in those with Ainu backgrounds hiding their identities and confusion over mixed heritages. In Japan, because of intermarriage over many years with Japanese, the concept of a 'pure Ainu' ethnic group is no longer feasible. Official estimates of the population are of around 25,000, while the unofficial number is upwards of 200,000 people”. – Wkipedia

Photo: A captive bear drinking from a large bottle held by an Ainu tribeswoman. (Photo by Evans/Three Lions/Getty Images). Circa 1955

Japan's On-Art Corp's eight metre tall dinosaur-shaped mechanical suit robot “TRX03” performs during its unveiling in Tokyo, Japan November 10, 2016. Stomping and roaring dinosaurs took to the stage in Tokyo on Thursday as part of a presentation for a proposed entertainment park where visitors will be able to see the realistic replicas first-hand. Japanese firm ON-ART Corp. unveiled man-operated robotic models of raptors, an allosaurus and a tyrannosaurus rex, in a performance at a hotel hall. (Photo by Toru Hanai/Reuters)

Kiyomura Co's President Kiyoshi Kimura (C), who runs a chain of sushi restaurants Sushi Zanmai, poses with a 212 kg (467 lbs) bluefin tuna at his sushi restaurant outside Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo, Japan, January 5, 2017. Kimura won the bid for the tuna caught off Oma, Aomori prefecture, northern Japan, with a 74 million yen (633,000 USD) at the fish market's first tuna auction this year. (Photo by Issei Kato/Reuters)

As pancake day has creped up on us once again, a Japanese chef has combined our favourite things; cute animals and sugar. Keisuke Inagaki has been a chef at his restaurant La Ricetta in Zama City, Japan, for the last 18 years. He rose to Instagram fame from his Pokemon and anime pancake art, and the time around heis created a lifelike animal series. The 46-year-old chef began making pancakes in 2011 to raise spirits after the devastating nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan. Here: A pancake that looks like a cat, in Zama City, Japan. (Photo by Keisuke Inagaki/Barcroft Images)

A large sand sculpture is seen at the site of Yokohama Sand Art Exhibition – Culture City of East Asia 2014 on July 16, 2014 in Yokohama, Japan. Producer and sand sculptor Katsuhiko Chaen invited artists from around the world including South Korea and China, to recreate the World Heritage and historical buildings in China, Japan and South Korea. The exhibition will be open from July 19 to November 3, 2014. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

A woman holds broken umbrella as a powerful typhoon hits Osaka, western Japan, Tuesday, September 4, 2018. A powerful typhoon blew through western Japan on Tuesday, causing heavy rain to flood the region's main offshore international airport and high winds to blow a tanker into a connecting bridge, disrupting land and air travel. (Photo by Nobuki Ito/Kyodo News via AP Photo)

England's full-back Freddie Steward dives across the line to score a try chased by Japan's wing Lomano Lemeki (L) during the France 2023 Rugby World Cup Pool D match between England and Japan at Stade de Nice in Nice, southern France on September 17, 2023. (Photo by Nicolas Tucat/AFP Photo)

A tea ceremony master use the Hishaku made by bamboo and makes a tea during the outdoor tea ceremony at Zuihoji Temple Park on November 3, 2011 in Kobe, Japan. The tea ceremony began in 1950 to commemorate the 14th century governor Toyotomi Hideyoshi and his tea master Sen no Rikyu, who are said to visit this area and enjoyed tea ceremonies. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)