Breaking News English

The Japanese government has a bill to the country's ethnic Ainu minority group as an "indigenous" people. It the first time for Japan's government to do this. It comes after decades of lobbying and campaigning by Ainu people to be . The Ainu are an indigenous people of Japan in Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, north-eastern Honshu, and islands between Japan and Russia. Their official number today around 25,000, but many observers a more accurate figure to around 200,000. Many Ainu have been completely into Japanese society and no knowledge of their ancestry or historical roots, traditions and culture.

The Japan Today website about the hardships the Ainu have . It said: "The Ainu people...have long the effects of a policy of forced assimilation, and while discrimination has gradually, income and education gaps with the rest of Japan ." Japan's government spoke about the importance of the new legislation. It said: "It is important to the honor and dignity of the Ainu people and to those down to the next generation to a vibrant society with diverse values." Ainu spokesman Tadashi Kato said: "It feels like we up now from a truly deep sleep....It will lead to building a society where we cohabit together. We think this is the first step."