The Paleolithic Period in the Japanese Archipelago

The defining feature of the Paleolithic period was the use of chipped stone tools, made by striking stone, along with bone and antler tools, to hunt and gather.
People still could not make pottery, and tools such as knife-shaped tools, cutting tools, burins, awls, trapezoid tools, and microblades were all made of stone.
They hunted large animals that are now extinct, such as Naumann’s elephant and giant deer, as well as deer, wild boar, and hares that still live in Japan today, using chipped stone tools to secure daily food.
Although the Paleolithic was a cold era known as the Ice Age, it seems there were also relatively warm periods.

During the Paleolithic period, Japan was connected to the Asian continent by land.
Because Paleolithic stone tool-making techniques are broadly divided into northern and southern traditions, it is thought that people who became the ancestors of the Japanese arrived from both the north and south of the continent.

As hunter-gatherers, Paleolithic people did not settle in one place, but kept moving as they followed game.
Because they lived on the move, their homes were likely tent-like shelters that were easy to carry and assemble.
They seem to have lived day to day by eating hunted animals such as deer, Naumann’s elephant, and hares, along with nuts and other wild foods.
It was a harsh environment, with not only Ice Age cold but also active volcanism and frequent ashfall.

More than 10,000 Paleolithic sites have been discovered in Japan.
Among them, the most famous is the Iwajuku Site.
It was the first site to prove that people lived in Japan during the Paleolithic period.
There are many other sites that preserve traces of Paleolithic life, including the Sunahara Site in Shimane Prefecture, where some of Japan’s oldest stone tools were found, and the Yadegawa Site in Nagano Prefecture, where microblades used for hunting were discovered.
Why not tour these sites and imagine the hunters who survived the Ice Age?

Opened in 2005 as Japan’s fourth national museum, it is built around a unique concept: viewing the formation of Japanese culture through the lens of Asian history.
Exhibits are organized into five periods, from the Paleolithic to the Edo period, showcasing materials that reveal each era’s culture.
To present Japanese culture from many angles, displays are updated frequently, so there’s always something new to discover.
If you want to explore Japan’s history alongside its culture in depth, it’s well worth a visit.