The Jomon Period: Japan’s Deep Past
The Jomon period — spanning approximately 14,000 BCE to 300 BCE — represents one of the world’s longest continuous pottery-making cultures and one of Japan’s most fascinating chapters of deep prehistory. The name, meaning “cord-marked,” describes the distinctive surface texture of Jomon pottery produced by pressing twisted cord into wet clay before firing. For over 14,000 years, Jomon people lived as hunter-gatherers and early cultivators across the Japanese archipelago, developing a material culture of remarkable aesthetic sophistication.
Jomon Pottery: The World’s Oldest
Jomon pottery, dated to approximately 16,000 years ago in Kyushu, is among the earliest ceramic tradition in the world. Early Jomon vessels are functional — deep pointed-base pots for cooking and storage — but by the Middle Jomon period (3000–2000 BCE), pottery had become extraordinarily elaborate: the kaen-doki (flame vessels) from Niigata Prefecture feature sweeping flame-like projections that serve no practical function, indicating a culture that invested significant creative energy in aesthetic expression beyond utility.
The Tokyo National Museum’s Jomon Gallery and the Niigata Prefectural Museum of History hold outstanding collections of flame vessels and other high-period pieces. In 2021, several Jomon sites in northern Tohoku and Hokkaido were inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites under the collective designation “Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan.”
UNESCO World Heritage Jomon Sites
The 17-site UNESCO listing covers the Sannai Maruyama site complex in Aomori and associated sites across Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, and Akita:
Sannai Maruyama, Aomori: The largest Jomon settlement known, occupied continuously for approximately 1,700 years (3900–2300 BCE). The site contains the foundations of large wooden six-pillar structures (interpreted as ceremonial buildings or watchtowers), pit dwellings, storage facilities, and an extensive burial ground. The on-site museum displays thousands of artefacts including clay figurines (dogu), lacquered combs, and trade goods from distant regions that indicate a sophisticated exchange network.
Odai Yamamoto I, Aomori: Site of the oldest Jomon pottery yet discovered in Japan, dated to approximately 15,000–16,000 years ago.
Kitakogane Shell Midden, Hokkaido: A remarkably well-preserved shell midden (refuse heap) that provides extraordinary detail about Jomon diet, environment, and mortuary practices.
Dogu: Jomon Figurines
The dogu — clay humanoid figurines produced throughout the Jomon period — are among the most enigmatic objects in Japanese archaeology. Later examples (Late and Final Jomon, 1000–300 BCE) are large-eyed, elaborately decorated figures that bear no resemblance to the human form as straightforwardly represented. The Shakoki dogu from Aomori (now in the Tokyo National Museum) is the most famous: a seated figure with goggle-like eyes, thought by some to represent a deity, a shaman, a votive object, or a toy. Over 15,000 dogu have been recovered across Japan.
Visiting Jomon Sites
Sannai Maruyama is 20 minutes by bus from Aomori Station and is free to enter. The reconstructed buildings — including the dramatic six-pillar structure and rows of pit dwellings — allow visitors to walk through a recreated settlement. The adjacent museum displays over 1,800 artefacts. For concentrated Jomon artefact collections, the Tokyo National Museum (Ueno), the Niigata Prefectural Museum of History (Nagaoka), and the Hakodate City Museum (Hokkaido) hold major assemblages. The Jomon route through Tohoku pairs naturally with other northern Japan travel including Hirosaki Castle, Lake Towada, and the Shirakami mountains.