A Glimpse into the Demography of the Ainu

Seven unpublished household censuses of Ainu populations on Hokkaido and Sakhalin between 1803 and 1853 are analyzed to show evidence of population decline well before the Meiji period. These populations show substantial diversity in household composition and community size, and complex household organization is pervasive, suggesting elaborate patron-client relationships not obviously based on kinship. Ecological differences may underlie this diversity and complexity, with Japanese influence and inclusion in long distance trading networks a strong possibility as a basic cause. There is a suggestion of organizational adaptations to distant economic and political influences, analogous to those observed on the Northwest Coast of North America under the influence of the fur trade.