In the remote river valleys of Hokkaido, Japan, a team of archaeologists has unearthed well-preserved wooden totems carved in the likeness of salmon, dating back approximately 1,000 years. These artifacts provide the earliest physical link to the ancestral Ainu 'Kimun Kamuy' rites, which celebrate the return of the salmon to inland waters. The totems were found in a waterlogged site, which helped preserve the intricate carvings of scales and fins.
The site also yielded evidence of "sending-off" platforms where ritual gear was ceremonially broken and discarded at the end of the festival season. This salmon-spirit discovery underscores the deep ecological and spiritual connection the indigenous people of Hokkaido maintained with their environment. The findings suggest that these festivals were sophisticated events involving complex choreography and specific ritual attire that has remained remarkably consistent in tradition for over a millennium.