Japan. Hokkaido. Shiraoi.
Copyright: Photograph by Fosco Maraini / Property of Gabinetto Vieusseux © 2024 Alinari Archives.

As Maraini writes: "This is Ushungesh, chief of Shiraoi, a village along the sea where few Ainu people remain. I have known Ushungesh for over twenty years, he is a loyal friend, a simple and strong bear hunter, one of the last ekashi who keep alive the heritage of ancestral traditions. Here he is sitting by the hearth and greeting the guest in the Ainu way, joining his hands." The name Ushungesh is composed of three Ainu words: ush (literally "enter into the sea"), un (literally "near") and gesh (literally "shore").