The indigenous people of Hokkaido and the adjacent islands in the northern part of Japan, as well as of the Kuriles and Sakhalin in the former U.S.S.R., are known as Ainu. The origin of the Ainu is uncertain, and their light complexions, heavy beards, and abundant wavy, black hair distinguish them from the Japanese. After the Meiji restoration in 1868, the Ainu were forced to shift from hunting, fishing, and gathering to agriculture and commercial fishing, and because of intermarriage with the Japanese the total unmixed population of this ancient people continues to decline. The basic form of Ainu religion is animism. The bear, for instance, is a supreme Ainu deity, and the spirit of a sacrificed bear is believed to carry messages to the ancestral spirits during the special festivals honoring this animal.

In the winter season Ainu women wove such robes on a loom. The fibers were from elm bark that had been softened after being peeled off the trees in spring or autumn. The applique of blue cloth in a geometric design has a practical function, protecting the areas around the neck, sleeves, and edges of the robe that are easily worn out. The design was also intended to prevent evil spirits from entering the body of the wearer of the robe.