Japanese History Digest
Yayoi period
Yayoi period
The Yayoi period, which dates from roughly the 5th century BC to the 3rd century AD, marked the full-scale establishment of agricultural society in the Japanese archipelago. The period's name comes from the discovery of distinctive pottery in Yayoi-cho, Hongo, Tokyo. The most notable feature of the Yayoi period is the introduction and spread of paddy rice cultivation. Rice cultivation is believed to have originated in the Yangtze River basin in China and spread to northern Kyushu via the southern Korean Peninsula. After establishing itself in Kyushu, it spread throughout Western Japan and eventually to the Kanto and Tohoku regions. The hot and humid climate of the Japanese archipelago was ideal for rice cultivation, and people converted lowlands and marshes into paddy fields and began working together to farm.
As agriculture developed, settlements gradually expanded in size, leading to greater political integration within each region. Leaders were needed to maintain paddy fields and manage harvests, and a hierarchical society centered around a chieftain emerged. This led to disparities between the rich and poor and conflicts over land and water, leading to the emergence of moated settlements and settlements with defensive structures across the country. Powerful settlements subjugated surrounding villages to form small nations (kuni), and their existence eventually came to be recorded as "Wa" in Chinese historical texts such as the Book of Han and the Book of Later Han. At the end of the Yayoi period, larger-scale integration also occurred, such as the Yamataikoku, which appears in the Wei Zhi Wajinden.
A cultural characteristic of the Yayoi period is the use of Yayoi pottery. Compared to Jomon pottery, Yayoi pottery is thinner, reddish, and more regularly shaped. Metal tools such as bronze and iron also began to be used. Bronze was primarily used for rituals, while iron was used as agricultural tools and weapons for practical purposes. By the late Yayoi period, bronze bells, bronze swords, and iron agricultural tools and weapons became widespread, improving social productivity and military power.
Religious views and rituals also changed. While animism, a belief in the gods of nature, continued, as agricultural society developed, importance was placed on rituals and festivals praying for good harvests. Burial methods also changed, and the tombs of chiefs and influential people began to be distinguished from those of the general public in terms of size and grave goods. This made the stratification of society even more evident.
Timeline of the Yayoi period
| According to the Geography section of the Book of Han, it is said that Wa (Japan) was divided into more than 100 small countries. | |
| 57 AD | According to the Records of the Later Han in the Account of the Eastern Barbarians, the Nu country in Fukuoka Prefecture sent tribute to the Later Han dynasty and received a golden seal in return. |
| 107 AD | There is a description that the king of Wa (Japan) presented 160 captured people as tribute. |
| late 2nd century | Great disturbance in Wa (Japan) is written in several Chinese historical books. After this great disturbance, it is believed that around 30 small countries united under a coalition centered around Yamatai (Yamato) ruled by Queen Himiko. |
| 239 AD | Queen Himiko dispatched her envoy Nashime to Wei, and she was then recognized as a vassal queen by Wei. |
| After a conflict with the Kunakoku kingdom, Queen Himiko died, and a male king was appointed, but the country fell into internal strife. Then, Iyo was appointed as the queen. | |
| 266 AD | Queen Iyo made a tribute to the court of Jin. |
Facilities where you can learn about the Yayoi period
Yoshinogari Historical Park (Yoshinogari-chō, Saga Prefecture)
http://www.yoshinogari.jp/
Sannai-Maruyama Site（Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture）
http://sannaimaruyama.pref.aomori.jp/
Shizuoka City Toro Museum (Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture)
http://www.shizuoka-toromuseum.jp/
Fukuoka City Museum (Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture)
http://museum.city.fukuoka.jp/
Kanenokuma Ruins Exhibition Hall (Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture)
https://yokanavi.com/spot/26807/
