Peculiarities of life style of the hunting people of the north-eastern region of Honshu island

The study is dedicated to an under-investigated subject in the Russian ethnography, i. e. hunters of the Tōhoku region – the matagi. The aforementioned subject is especially noteworthy since it touches upon the whole layer of culture connected with the history of Japan. It sheds a new light on the originality of commercial activities of the Japanese domains situated in the north-east of Honshu island in the Middle Ages, and concerns complex intercultural relations between the Japanese and the Ainu. Moreover, the overview of some hunting-related customs, the language and artifacts of hunters vividly demonstrates the specific character of this category of population and the necessity of further investigation thereof.