Matagi

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The Matagi (マタギ; or less often 又鬼) are traditional winter hunters of the Tōhoku region of northern Japan, most famously today in the Ani area in Akita Prefecture, which is known for the Akita dogs. Afterwards, they spread to the Shirakami-Sanchi forest between Akita and Aomori, and other areas of Japan. Documented as a specialised group from the medieval period onwards, the Matagi continue to hunt deer and bear in the present day, and their culture has much in common with the bear worship of the Ainu people. With the introduction of modern firearms in the 19th century, and mass-production of reloadable cartridges beginning with the Murata rifle, 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 and Nakatsugaru (Aomori Prefecture), Kitaakita and Senboku (Akita Prefecture), Waga (Iwate Prefecture), Nishiokitama and Tsuruoka (Yamagata Prefecture), Murakami and Nakauonuma (Niigata Prefecture and Nagano Prefecture). Well-known Matagi villages frequented by tourists can be found in Ani on the western slopes of Mount Moriyoshi in Akita Prefecture, and a few hamlets on the eastern slopes of Mount Chōkai in Akita and Yamagata prefectures.