Tomorrrow I
should have the actual finished map out to
replace the hastily made one here. I will probably put out the next chapter next week.
I guess we are seeing the endurance of some groups ITTL than didn't make it OTL. Hokkaido might well be unrecognizable compared to ITTL.
Oh, it definitely will be unrecognisable since the Ainu get a shot in the arm economically in terms of earlier trade with Japan, and for the Ainu in the northeast of the island, it's on far more equal terms than OTL since they only have marginal connection to Japan despite the increase in trade.
There is also the matter of the Nivkh in the north of the island who are direct Mongol vassals. Not much is known about them other than they were conquered and assimilated by the Ainu and are probably the origin of the iomante ritual (bear sacrifice ceremony). Nivkh is actually a small language family, and they probably spoke either a distinct Nivkh language or a distinct variety of South Sakhalin Nivkh (sometimes called "Nighvng").
More Ainu survival, at least until Japan gets their shit together. We have a long way till 16th century
Technically less Ainu survival, given parts of the island are already Japanese territory (or directly ruled by the Mongols) and 200K-plus Japanese (and some Chinese, Korean, Jurchen, etc.) live there. I used the OTL terms "Wajinchi" and "Ezochi" to designate it, and all land designated Wajinchi would be under Japanese law meaning the Ainu have to conform their way of life to the Japanese way of life. Ezochi is of course Ainu traditional law, but they still have to pay tribute and accept Japanese (and ultimately Yuan) trade policy. But it would be more free than the OTL Edo period Ainu were, like the authorities wouldn't be tearing up a rice field because the people who planted it were Ainu. Ironically, having less legal and social distinctions between Japanese and Ainu may well make them easier to assimilate (as happened in Honshu).
I'm particularly interested in the long-term impact the Yuan leave on the island. Things will definitely look quite different in the long-term.
Let's just say the impact is quite large and even if its ruled by Japan, it will be quite alien. Thanks to the needs of the war, the island is a melting pot of the cultures around the Sea of Japan.
Personally I wonder if the muslims and russians will japanise over time.I wonder if Islam and Orthodox Christianity would try to convert the japanese population.Still I hope that Ainu are more succesful in this TL.
I'm sure there are Muslims and Christians in Japan TTL who have tried to convert the natives, but they wouldn't have much success since they're seen as foreign elements. The former are also linked to hated foreign merchants who are widely believed to cheat the local population, not to mention many of both groups serve as darughachi and are thus a constant source of tensions.
One group of Ainu, the Hinomoto clan (totally ATL), are quite important within the Ezo Shogunate although given their embrace of Buddhism and Japanese cultural elements, might not be quite what you're looking for.