Many consider the Ainu to be the most mysterious people on our planet. Their lifestyle, based on fishing with almost undeveloped agriculture, original rites, rich folklore attract attention. Among other peoples of East Asia, they are distinguished by an unusual physical appearance. The Japanese in Japan appeared only a little more than two thousand years ago, and before that most of the archipelago was inhabited by the ancestors of the current Ainu tribe. Today, there are just over 15,000 in a number of Central Hokkaido villages. But at the end of the 19th century there were much more of them, and they inhabited almost the entire island of Hokkaido, the southern part of Sakhalin and most of the Kuril Islands. One of the authors of the book conducted field work in Ainu villages for a certain time. The unique materials he collected make up a significant part of the book. The social system, forms of communication, rituals, material culture, history of the Ainu are described.