Title: Entrepreneurial activity of contemporary Ainu: an explanatory study

Authors: Tatsuyoshi Masuda

Addresses: Department of Economics, Hokusei Gakuen University, 2-3-1, Oyachi Nishi Atsubetu ku, Sapporo 004-0042, Japan

Abstract: This paper reports the entrepreneurship of the indigenous Ainu people in Japan. Our explanatory study shows that the Ainu entrepreneurs, who are the traditional hunting people, engage still mainly in the fishery industry. Operating size of the fishing boat fishery and the fishery of cultivation has an increasing trend. Household|s average income is higher for the fishing village residents than others. The entrepreneurs of traditional folk craft have a decreasing trend. We have to answer in future research, why do they remain still in the fishery industry?

Keywords: Ainu; entrepreneurship; fishery industry; indigenous peoples; Hokkaido; Japan; fisheries; entrepreneurs; traditional hunters; fish cultivation; household incomes; average incomes; fishing villages; folk crafts; business; globalisation; Asia.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBG.2011.037320

International Journal of Business and Globalisation, 2011 Vol.6 No.1, pp.54 - 72

Published online: 27 Sep 2014 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article