Japan's Naomi Osaka visits Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary ahead of the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane on December 29, 2023. (Photo by Patrick Hamilton/AFP Photo)

“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

“A robot suit that can help the elderly or disabled get around was given its global safety certificate in Japan on February 27, 2013, paving the way for its worldwide roll-out”. Photo: Robot suit “Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL)” worn by a man developed by University of Tsukuba is seen lifting a 30kg weight during 2005 International Robot Exhibition on November 30, 2005 in Tokyo, Japan. By wearing the power suit, it makes it easier to move and lift heavy things. (Photo by Koichi Kamoshida)

A man stands between thousands of paper lanterns, which were displayed and lit up the precincts of the shrine, where more than 2.4 million war-dead are enshrined, during the Mitama Festival at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, Japan July 13, 2016. “Mitama” is a respectful word that means “the soul of a dead person” in Japanese, and this “Soul Festival” honors just that. (Photo by Issei Kato/Reuters)

Inside the new Digital Art Museum in Tokyo, Japan on June 21, 2018. These incredible photos show what it looks like inside a groundbreaking new digital art museum in Japan. A trip to the Mori Building Digital Art Museum: teamLab Borderless in Tokyo, which opened last week, can make you feel like they you are dreaming and aims to fully immerse visitors in the art. Spanning a spacious 10,000 square metres, 520 computers and 470 high-tech projectors create the illusion that the visitor is wandering through rice fields, following shoals of fish or even bouncing on a galaxy of planets. (Photo by South West News Service)

Women walk in heavy rain as Typhoon Haishen hits Kagoshima, Kagoshima prefecture on September 6, 2020. Typhoon Haishen began to lash southern Japan on September 6, with officials warning it could bring record rainfall and winds strong enough to snap power line poles and flip cars. (Photo by Charly Triballeau/AFP Photo)

Performers dressed as Pikachu, a character from Pokemon series game titles, march during the Pikachu Outbreak event hosted by The Pokemon Co. on August 9, 2017 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. A total of 1, 500 Pikachus appear at the city's landmarks in the Minato Mirai area aiming to attract visitors and tourists to the city. The event will be held through until August 15. (Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)

Performers dressed as Pikachu, a character from Pokemon series game titles, march during the Pikachu Outbreak event hosted by The Pokemon Co. on August 10, 2018 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. A total of 1, 500 Pikachus appear at the city's landmarks in the Minato Mirai area aiming to attract visitors and tourists to the city. The event will be held through until August 16. (Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)