Kankō Ainu

Kankō Ainu (Japanese: 観光アイヌ, "tourist Ainu") is a term used to describe Ainu who live or portray a traditional (or romanticised pseudo-traditional) indigenous Japanese Ainu lifestyle in order to cater to the tourist industry.

The practise has been criticised on multiple levels and protested by some Ainu advocates, including complaints that tourist Ainu sites do not represent genuine Ainu culture, but rather a stereotype of the Ainu from the wajin (majority Japanese) perspective. Other Ainu, however, are pleased to be able to make a living producing and selling traditional Ainu handicrafts, and performing Ainu dances for an audience.