The matagi are traditional winter hunters of the Tōhoku region

Tohoku region

The is a geographical area of Japan. The region occupies the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region consists of six prefectures : Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata....

 of northern Japan, most famously today in the Shirakami-Sanchi

Shirakami-Sanchi

is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in northern Honshū, Japan. This mountainous, unspoiled expanse of virgin forest straddles both Akita and Aomori Prefectures. Of the entire 1,300 km², a tract covering 169.7 km² was included in the list of World Heritage Sites in 1993...

 forest between Akita and Aomori. They hunt deer and bear, and their culture has much in common with the bear cult of the Ainu

Ainu people

The , also called Aynu, Aino , and in historical texts Ezo , are indigenous people or groups in Japan and Russia. Historically they spoke the Ainu language and related varieties and lived in Hokkaidō, the Kuril Islands, and much of Sakhalin...

. The live in small hamlets of the mountain beech forests of Tōhoku and engage in agriculture during the planting and harvest season. In the winter and early spring, they form hunting bands that spend weeks at a time in the forest. With the introduction of guns in the 20th century, the need for group hunting for bear has diminished, leading to a decline in matagi culture.

Matagi hamlets are found in the districts of Nishitsugaru

Nishitsugaru District, Aomori

is a district located in Aomori, Japan.As of 2003 , the district has an estimated population of 24,033 and a density of 28.9 persons per km²...

 and Nakatsugaru

Nakatsugaru District, Aomori

is a district located in Aomori Prefecture. The district has an estimated population of 1,599 with a total area of 246,58 km².The district contains only one village.*Nishimeya-Timeline:* April 1, 1889...

 (Aomori

Aomori Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....

), Kitaakita

Kitaakita District, Akita

is a district located in Akita, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 3,145 and a density of 12.25 persons per km². The total area is 256.82 km².-Mergers:...

 and Senboku

Senboku District, Akita

is a district located in Akita, Japan. In 2005, the district has an estimated population of 23,757 and a density of 141.58 persons per km². The total area is 167.80 km².-Mergers:...

 (Akita

Akita Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region of northern Honshu, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Akita.- History :The area of Akita has been created from the ancient provinces of Dewa and Mutsu....

), Waga

Waga District, Iwate

is a district located in Iwate Prefecture. Since 2006, it has included just the town of Nishiwaga.-History:* 1878 Due to the land reforms, the district split into Higashiwaga and Nishiwaga Districts....

 (Iwate

Iwate Prefecture

is the second largest prefecture of Japan after Hokkaido. It is located in the Tōhoku region of Honshū island and contains the island's easternmost point. The capital is Morioka. Iwate has the lowest population density of any prefecture outside Hokkaido...

), Nishiokitama

Nishiokitama District, Yamagata

is a district located in Yamagata, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 35,166 and a density of 28.71 persons per km². The total area is 1,224.89 km².-Towns and villages:*Iide*Oguni*Shirataka...

 and Tsuruoka

Tsuruoka, Yamagata

is a city located in the Shonai region of Yamagata Prefecture, Japan.Tsuruoka is the second largest city in Yamagata Prefecture after Yamagata City...

 (Yamagata

Yamagata Prefecture

-Fruit:Yamagata Prefecture is the largest producer of cherries and pears in Japan. A large quantity of other kinds of fruits such as grapes, apples, peaches, melons, persimmons and watermelons are also produced.- Demographics :...

), Murakami

Murakami, Niigata

is a city located in northern Niigata, Japan.On April 1, 2008, the city merged with the towns of Sanpoku and Arakawa, and the villages of Asahi and Kamihayashi, all from Iwafune District....

 and Nakauonuma

Nakauonuma District, Niigata

is a district located in Niigata, Japan.As of April 1, 2005, the district has a population of 11,754. The area is now 372.80 km².The district has one village*Tsunan-History:...

 (Niigata

Niigata Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Honshū on the coast of the Sea of Japan. The capital is the city of Niigata. The name "Niigata" literally means "new lagoon".- History :...

 and Nagano).

The matagi are attested from the Medieval period, but continue to hunt today. They have come into conflict with environmentalists now that the forest has been partly cleared. and they no longer hunt the serow

Japanese Serow

The Japanese serow , known in Japanese as the , is a goat-antelope found in dense woodland on Honshū, Japan....

, which is protected, but continue to hunt bear.

Specialized Matagi hunting vocabulary contains Ainu

Ainu languages

The Ainu languages were a small language family spoken on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaidō, the southern half of the island of Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands, an island chain that stretches from Hokkaidō to the southern tip of the Kamchatka Peninsula. They are alternately considered a...

words. Indeed, the word matagi itself may be Ainu, from matangi or matangitono "man of winter, hunter", though some argue Ainu borrowed the word from Japanese.