Robe of Honor
he Ainu are an aboriginal people originally from the northernmost Japanese island of Hokkaido and Sakhalin Island in Russia. Their origins are mysterious, and their language is. The bear, in particular, had profound religious significance for the Ainu, to the point where they are said to have engaged in arctolatry, or bear worship. The basic item of Ainu clothing was a short robe called , made from the bark of an elm tree.
