The Yayoi Period in Wakayama and Japan

• Outline of the Yayoi Period
  • Living on rice and using metal tools are two of important elements of the Yayoi Period.
  • The Yayoi Culture
    • The Yayoi culture started in the northern part of Kyushu.
    • In the period, there was increased mixing between Jomon people and those who were from the continent.
    • Many people regard the Yayoi Period as the starting point of Japanese culture.
    • Yayoi culture did not develop in Hokkaido and Okinawa.
  • Tools
    • Pottery used in the Yayoi Period is called "Yayoi pottery."
    • In the 2nd half of the Yayoi Period, stone tools were no longer produced. It must have been because iron farm implements greatly improved the agricultural output.
  • Society
    • As nutritious rice supported larger population than before and wet rice cultivation required group work, Yayoi people resided in villages located by paddy fields.
    • Their society in the agricultural communities was effectively organized and the chiefs became in charge of farm production command, rites to pray for bountiful harvest and security against outside enemies.
    • Villages developed into king-led provinces called kuni ( クニ ) in Japanese.
    • The king-led provinces sometimes went to wars against each other. They might have fought for rice stock in other king-led provinces, especially when unseasonal weather caused food shortages.
    • Countries in the northern part of Kyushu seem to have monopolized iron import. That is why king-led provinces in other regions entered into an alliance.
    • In the end, the union evolved into one single large king-led province which had tributary relationship with China.

Back to Top

• History of Studies on the Yayoi Period
  • In 1884, an earthen vessel of an unfamiliar type was found at Yayoi in Tokyo.
  • In 1936 and 1937, it was confirmed that a rice-producing culture had existed at the Karako Kagi archaeological site, when wooden farm implements and stone knives for harvesting were unearthed there.
  • From 1947 to 1950, ancient structural remnants of rice paddies with raised granaries and wooden farm implements were found the Toro archaeological site.
  • From 1951 to 1954, the oldest Yayoi settlement was found at Itazuke, Fuokuoka.
  • In 1978, the oldest remnant of rice paddies was found at Itazuke, Fukuoka.
  • In 1980, a remnant of rice paddies which was older than that of Itazuke was found at the Nabatake site in Karatsu, Saga.
    • Continnetal gound stone tools such as large-sized stone axes and single-edged stone axes for producing wooden farm implements were found at the Nabateke site.
    • Yayoi culture with growing rice, foxtail millet, barley and adzuki beans is thought to have spread from the northern part of Kyushu to the Chugoku district, the Shikoku district and a part of the Kinki district around the very beginning of the Yayoi Period (currently, in dispute).
  • In 1982, 656 rice paddies in the middle Yayoi Period were found at the Tareyanagi site in Aomori.
  • In 1982, a remnant of rice paddies in the early Yayoi Period was found at the Sunazawa site in Hirosaki, Aomori.

Back to Top

• Division of the Yayoi Period
  • (Reference: Tsude 2011）
  • the initial Yayoi Period
    • 1,000 BCE through800 BCE
    • Gathering food was still a major economic activity in.
  • the early Yayoi Period
    • 800 BCE through 400 BCE
    • Growing rice became established.
  • in the middle Yayoi Period
    • 400 BCE through 50 BCE
    • King-led provinces was formed and developed into larger political blocks.
  • the late Yayoi Period
    • 50 CE through 180
    • Conflicts between the blocks continued in.
  • the terminal Yayoi Period
    • 180 CE through 240 CE
    • Himiko reigned as a king in.

  Back to Top

• The beginning of the Yayoi Period
  • Around 2,500 years ago, wet rice cultivation was introduced into the northern part of Kyushu from the Korean Peninsula. That was the beginning of the Yayoi Period in Japan.
  • After the pioneering experiments in Northern Kyushu, wet rice cultivation gradually spread out over Western Japan by the 4th century BCE and then diffused to Eastern Japan.
  • Therefore, the commencing time of the Yayoi Period was different from region to region.
  • My Guess
    • Some people who were familiar with the new agriculture might have migrated from the continent.
    • Jomon people must have been completely surprised to see a large amount of nutritious grain.
    • Some of them might have decided to acquire skill in the novel farming.

Back to Top

• Nutritional Value of Rice Grains and Wheat Flour
  • (reference: Table of Food Analyses, Taishukan, 2016)
  • 100 grams of brown rice contains 353 kcal and 6.8 g protein.
  • 100 grams of polished rice contains 358 kcal and 6.1 g protein.
  • 100 grams of cooked polished-rice contains 168 kcal and 2.5 g protein.
  • 100 grams of wheat flower (low-gluten flour) contains 367 kcal and 8.3 g protein.
  • 100 grams of bread roll contains 265 kcal and 8.5 g protein.

Back to Top

• Metal Tools in the Yayoi Period
  • In the Japanese Islands, both bronzeware and ironware began to be used at the same time, while bronzeware preceded ironware in many places in the world.
  • Around the beginning of the middle Yayoi Period, bronze daggers, bronze halberds, socketed bronze spearheads and bronze mirrors were imported from the Korean Peninsula. Many of them were utility articles.
  • Soon, bronzeware began to be produced as ritual implements including bronze bell called dotaku (銅鐸) and accessories in the Japanese Islands.
  • In the second half of the middle Yayoi Period, bronze mirrors were imported from China. They were highly valued as prestige articles.
  • Sorts of ironware.
    • Iron tools such as axes, knives, planes and so on.
    • Farm implements such as edges of spades, hoes, sickles and so on.
    • Weapons such as swords, halberds, arrowheads and so on.
  • Ironware was also produced in the Japanese Islands.
  • Many of the ironware were forged ones.
  • In the late Yayoi Period, iron tools replaced stone tools all together.
  • Iron was imported from the Korean Peninsula.

Back to Top

• Dotaku Bronze Bells in the Yayoi Period
  • After the beginning of wet-rice cultivation in the Japanese Islands, a new religious ritual was introduced from the Korean Peninsula with the new agriculture took place.
  • Yayoi people prayed for a good harvest in the new ceremony, using bronze bells called dotaku (銅鐸).
  • Around 400 dotaku have been unearthed in the Japanese Archipelago.
  • In the middle and late Yayoi Period, they prevailed in Kinki, Shikoku except Ehime, Chugoku except Yamaguchi, Fukui, Nagano and Shizuoka. Small number of dotaku were also used in Kyushu.
  • In the beginning of the late Yayoi Period, the bronze bells disappeared in Izumo (Shimane Prefecture).
  • Around the end of the Yayoi Period, they were only in Kinki and the western part of Tokai including the Ise Bay area.
  • Dotaku was originally a small bell for a domestic animal to hang from its neck in the continent.
  • Yayoi people, who had not such domestic animals, turned the bronzeware into implements for their rite.
  • Just before the beginning of the Kofun Period, two different styles of dotaku bronze bells existed. One was in the Kinki region and the other was in the Tokai region.
  • Two opposing political groups are thought to have existed in those days.

Back to Top

• Countries in the Japanese Islands during the Yayoi Period
  • An official history book of the Han dynasty (202 BCE to 222 CE) says the next things.
    • Around the 1st C. BCE, Wa society consisted of a little more than 100 united villages which the Han dynasty regarded as king-led provinces.
    • Among them, some king-led provinces periodically paid tribute to Lelang Commandery in the Korean Peninsula.
  • My Guess Based on the official history book of the Han dynasty.
    • The sea route between Kyushu and the Korean Peninsula must have been consistently used in the 1st century BCE.
    • The direct distance is around 200 kilometers. The required time must have been three days via Iki Island and Tushima Island. With a favorable wind, it might have been shorter.
    • Semi-structural vessels must have been an aid to their navigation.
    • As long as there is nothing about conflicts, they must have had been to the Korean Peninsula.
    • It was around 400 years later after the introduction of wet rice cultivation. Powerful chiefs (kings) must have dominated their own provinces. Their society might have been stable, for the king-led provinces intended to have international relationships.
    • It seems to be appropriate for me to make a rush judgement about the purpose of their bringing a tribute to the Han dynasty.

Back to Top

• Tributes to the Later Han Dynasty
  • What Official History Records of the Later Han Dynasty says is as follows.
    • In 57, emissaries from a king-led province called Na in Wa proceeded to Luoyang(洛陽) and received a ribboned seal from Emperor Guangwu(光武帝).
    • In 107, Shosui, a king in Wa, offered 160 slaves (生口) to the Early Han dynasty.
  • Na was a small king-led province located around present Fukuoka City. A gold seal identified as what Emperor Guangwu of Han bestowed was found at Shika-no-shima Island in the city.

Back to Top

• Emissaries from Wa (ancient Japan) to Chinese dynasties in the Yayoi Period
  • In 57, the king of Na in Wa sent emissaries to the Later Han dynasty and Emperor Guangwu(光武帝) bestowed a ribboned seal.
  • In 107, Kings in Wa including Suisho dispatched emissaries to the Later Han dynasty.
  • In 238, Wei began to dominate Daifang Commandery.
  • In 239, Queen Himiko of Wa dispatched emissaries to both Daifang Commandery and the capital of Wei. Emperor Ming of Wei conferred the title of the ruler of Wa and bestowed the Gold Seal with Purple Ribbon.
  • In 243, Himiko bestowed gifts the king of Wei.
  • In 245, Emperor of Cao Wei bestowed gifts to emissaries from Wa.
  • In 266, Queen Toyo (or Iyo) of Wa dispatched emissaries to the Jin dynasty. After this, diplomatic relationship between Wa and China did not existed for 147 years.
  • My Guess
    • Kings of Wa in the Yayoi Period, who were trying to end domestic strife, might have aimed to strengthen their positions by securing backing from Chinese dynasties.

Back to Top

• 'Account of the Wa' in "The History of the Wei Dynasty"(『魏志倭人伝』)
  • It is an official history book including articles which is well-known for a description Yamatai-koku Kingdom led by a queen named Himiko.
  • Yamatai-koku Kingdom
    • Kings originally reigned Yamatai Kingdom for 70 or 80 years and after that, conflicts kept on raging in the whole country for a long time.
    • The state of disorder finally ended when a woman named Himiko became the queen.
    • Daifang Commandery dispatched an envoy when Yamatai Kingdom fought against another country called Kuna-koku(狗奴国) in the Japanese Islands.
    • After Queen Himiko died, though a man became the next king, the whole country did not obey him. People killed each other and more than 1,000 died.
    • When a 13-year-old girl called Ito became the next queen, the whole nation became at peach.

Back to Top

• Evidence of Conflicts in the Yayoi Period
  • Not only an official history book written in China (Account of the Wa' in "the History of the Wei Dynasty"), but various archaeological materials also indicate that conflicts began in the early stage of the Yayoi Period.
  • Stone arrowheads, copper arrowheads and iron arrow heads in the Yayoi Period which were larger than those had been used to hunt middle-sized animals in the Jomon Period. The bigger arrowheads were suitable to kill and wound people, and the number enormously increased in the middle Yayoi Period.
  • Human bones in the Yayoi Period which are wounded or into which sword points are stuck. Such human bones have been scarcely found in Jomon archaeological sites.
  • Moated settlements and hilltop settlements which developed in the Yayoi Period.

Back to Top

Archaeological Sites in the Yayaoi Period

• (I have constantly referred to Tsude 2011)