Seeking Wor ld Her i tage Inscr ipt ion

http://jomon-japan.jp

Jomon Archaeological Sites inHokkaido and Northern Tohoku

Jomon cultureJomon culture, which began in 13,000 BC and continued for about 10,000 years, is a well- known prehistoric culture peculiar to the Japanese archipelago. It formed a long-lasting, sustainable society by adapting to the ecosystem which is uncommonly rich in biodiversity and coexisting with nature. Without implementing the full-scale agricul-ture and pastoralism, Jomon culture accomplished and continued a sedentary and corporative society for long periods based on hunting, gathering and fishing as main subsistence. Therefore, being differ-ent from neolithic cultures in rest of the world, Jomon culture is an extraordinarily rare prehistoric culture in the world history.

Seeking World Heritage InscriptionJomon cultural sites are widely distributed throughout the Japanese archipelago. Despite that basic elements of Jomon culture are shared with other regions, thousands of sites are known in Hokkaido and northern Tohoku region. It is also a representative region where typical cultural spheres in Jomon period flourished, such are like Ento-pottery Culture and Kamegaoka Culture. Among them, ‘Jômon Archaeological Sites in Hokkaidô and Northern Tôhoku’ can strongly represent the whole features of Jomon culture. In these sites, a ceramic assemblage of the oldest group in the world was unearthed, and clay figurines associated with

Jomon spiritual world and large stone circles concentrated. In addition, there are many sites where rich natural environment is conserved in this group. For instance, vegetation and landform both of which are reminiscent of prehistoric Jomon culture are well-preserved. ‘Jômon Archaeological Sites in Hokkaidô and Northern Tôhoku’ are, representing the prehistoric culture that emerged and developed in the good relationship between human and nature, properties which proves the superior value of Jomon Culture.

We believe that the Jomon archaeological sites in the four areas of Hokkaido, Aomori prefecture, Iwate prefecture, Akita prefecture and related municipalities hold a cultural heritage that should be preserved for future generation as an invaluable treasure common to humanity not only Japan, and we are aiming for World Heritage registration to ensure that these sites will be preserved in perpetuity.

The value of the Jomon archaeological sites has been recognized, and on January 5th, 2009 the group of sites was recorded on the World Heritage tentative list as a World Heritage candidate.Moving forward, we will further our efforts to achieve World Heritage registration.

Proposing local governments of the Jomon Archaeological Site in Hokkaido and Northern TohokuHokkaido, Aomori prefecture, Iwate Prefecture, Akita prefecture,

Hakodate City, Chitose City, Date City, Mori Town, Toyako Town, Aomori City, Hirosaki City, Hachinohe City, Tsugaru City, Sotogahama Town, Shichinohe Town, Ichinohe Town, Kazuno City, Kitaakita City

Ornamental comb made of antler（Aomori prefecturally-

designated cultural property）Futatsumori Shell Midden

Censer-shaped potteryKakinoshima Site

Akamido type potteryChoshichiyachi Shell Midden

Lacquered spouted vesselKakinoshima Site

Lacquer painted plate shapedpottery（Aomori prefecturally-designated cultural property）

Kamegaoka Site

Large jade beadSannai-Maruyama Site

Ento-Kaso type pottery（ Important Cultural Property）

Sannai-Maruyama Site

Boar-shaped clay figure（Important Cultural Property）

Tokoshinai 2 Site

Clay objects stamped by hand and foot of childOishitai Site

Contact InformationCulture and Sports Division, Bureau of Daily Life Safety, Department of Environment and Lifestyle, Hokkaido Government TEL +81-11-204-5168　FAX +81-11-232-8695Cultural Properties Protection Division, Secretariat Office of the Aomori Prefectural Board of Education TEL +81-17-734-9922　FAX +81-17-734-8280Lifelong Learning and Culture Division, Iwate Prefectural Board of Education TEL +81-19-629-6177　FAX +81-19-629-6179Cultural Assets Preservation Office, Akita Prefectural Bureau of Education TEL +81-18-860-5193　FAX +81-18-860-5886

Clay tablet（Akita prefecturally-

designated cultural property）Oyu Stone Circles

Clay figurine (goggle-eyed)（Important Cultural Property）

Kamegaoka SiteTokyo National Museum／Image:TNM Image Archives

Clay figurine (goggle-eyed)（Important Cultural Property）

Nimaibashi 2 Site

Large size flat clay figurine （Important Cultural Property）

Sannai-Maruyama Site

Hollow clay figurine （National Treasure）Chobonaino Site

Flat clay figurine（Akita prefecturally-

designated cultural property）Isedotai Site

Clay figurine with clasping hands（National Treasure）Kazahari 1 Site

‘Jômon Archaeological Sites in Hokkaidô, Northern Tôhoku, and other regions’ consist of eighteen sites including special historic site Sannai-Maruyama site and Oyu Stone Circle. They involve all the remarkable elements of Jomon culture, such are like settlements, shell middens and monuments. Furthermore, since these sites are located at various places including seashore, inland, lake area and river basin, ‘Jômon Archaeological Sites in Hokkaidô, Northern Tôhoku, and other regions’ are extraordinarily valuable representing several aspects of Jomon culture and their diachronic changes.

❶ Historic site Ofune Site / Hakodate City, Hokkaido❷ Historic site Kakinoshima Site / Hakodate City, Hokkaido❸ Historic site Kiusu Earthwork Burial Circles / Chitose City, Hokkaido❹ Historic site Kitakogane Shell Midden / Date City, Hokkaido❺ Historic site Washinoki Site / Mori Town, Hokkaido❻ Historic site Irie/Takasago Shell Midden / Toyako Town, Hokkaido❼ Special Historic site Sannai-Maruyama Site / Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture❽ Historic site Komakino Site / Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture❾ Historic site Omori-Katsuyama Site / Hirosaki City, Aomori prefecture10 Historic site Choshichiyachi Shell Midden / Hachinohe City, Aomori prefecture11 Historic site Korekawa Site / Hachinohe City, Aomori prefecture12 Historic site Tagoyano Shell Midden / Tsugaru City, Aomori prefecture13 Historic site Kamegaoka Site / Tsugaru City, Aomori prefecture 14 Historic site Odai-Yamamoto Site / Sotogahama Town, Aomori prefecture15 Historic site Futatsumori Shell Midden / Shichinohe Town, Aomori prefecture16 Historic site Goshono Site / Ichinohe Town, Iwate prefecture17 Special Historic site Oyu Stone Circles / Kazuno City, Akita prefecture18 Historic site Isedotai Site / Kitaakita City, Akita prefecture

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Hokkaido

Aomori

Akita Iwate

❶Ofune Site ❷Kakinoshima Site ❸Kiusu Earthwork Burial Circles

❺Washinoki Site ❻Irie/Takasago Shell Midden ❼Sannai-Maruyama Site

10Choshichiyachi Shell Midden 11Korekawa Site 12Tagoyano Shell Midden

16Goshono Site

❾Omori-Katsuyama Site

15Futatsumori Shell Midden

❽Komakino Site

14Odai-Yamamoto Site 17Oyu Stone Circles

13Kamegaoka Site

18Isedotai Site

❹Kitakogane Shell MiddenJomon Archaeological Sites inHokkaido and Northern Tohoku