Aynu Folk can be subdivided into six main types:

  1. isoitak (< iso hunting/fishing, itak story)

    2. a story of ones own personal experience related to a hunting or fishing episode.

  2. upaskuma (ucaskuma Karafuto) an old tale with a moral.

  3. yukara the story of some hero or incident, the most well-known type of Aynu folktale; this name is commonly used in Japanese literature to refer to Aynu folktales in general.

  4. kamuiyukara a type a type of yukara dealing with the various gods of the Aynu pantheon, this type of tale is always sung.

  5. oina one type of kamuiyukara more deeply religious than the kamuiyukara and deals with the founding of the Ainu nation.

  6. uepekere original meaning of to inform or news always spoken in the first person although it does not relate to a personal matter.

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