The foothills of Mt. Moriyoshi in Japan’s Akita prefecture are home to a group of mountain men known as matagi. Often referred to as Bear Hunters, the matagi live a life based on traditions that have seen little change over the past 1,000 years, hunting being just one part of a much wider range of activities they’re engaged in. Matagi hunt various wild animals for both food and to help with population control, forage for wild edibles and plants that have medicinal value, and perhaps most vitally play the important role of mountain steward for their communities. They aren’t nomadic hunters moving from one place to another after taking what they can, they care for the mountains and forests they live and work in, helping to encourage further flourishing of plant and animal life there.