<< County Introductions >> Japanese Chronology with Featured Stone Monuments In Every Era

Submitted by Aska on Friday, 22 January 2021  Page Views: 3271

CENOZOIC
MIOCENE : Start of separation of the Japanese archipelago from the Eurasian continent (2100 million years ago)
PLIOCENE : Separation and connection switched by glacial sea level changes
PLEISTOCENE (including CHIBANIAN) : Separation completed (1.3 million years ago)

PALEOLITHIC (?-14000BCE)
Immigration of huge mammals and nomad people (Jōmon ancestors?) from Siberia

• obsidian and other stone tool
• "Japanese Paleolithic Hoax"
• quest for bone of fossil humans and excavated authentic and suspicious artefacts

JŌMON (14000BCE-400BCE)
Settlement of hunter-collector in reclaimed villages
Extinction of huge mammals and beginning of proto-agriculture
Beginning of pottery production

Related article: ★Japanese Chronology for Stone circles (late Jōmon era, 6000-3000 BCE)

Related article: ★Standing Stones and Alternative archaeology in Japan: Stone Poles

• Jōmon (=cord or rope pattern decoration) pottery
• stone circle and timber circle
• henge monument
• stone pole and other ritual stone tools
• shell midden
• Sakeishi fish-carved stone
• Dogū clay figurine
• "Sannai Maruyama" residential site
• Edward S. Morse (1838-1925) : the discoverer of Ōmori shell midden the origin of Japanese modern archaeology

YAYOI (400BCE-Mid 3rd C)
New immigrants (Yayoi people) from the Korean peninsula or Yangtze river delta
Introduction of rice cultivation and metallurgy
Growth of crop, wealth, community and birth of stratified communes

Related article: ★Japanese Chronology for Dolmen (early Yayoi era, 3000-300 BCE)

• "Yayoi" (=place name of the discovery point in Tōkyō) pottery
• cist
• jar burial
• dolmen
• proto-Kofun burial mound
• bronze tool factory for sward and bell
• "Yoshinogari" residential site

KOFUN (Mid 3rd C-6th C)
Rise of regional kingdoms then unification by the Yamato (=present day Nara) kingdom
Construction of huge Kofun tumuli for rulers' funeral rite
Technical and personnel exchange with the Korean kingdoms

Related article: ★Japanese Chronology for Kofun burial mounds (Kofun era. 3rd-7th C)

Related article: ★Japanese Chronology for Chambered cairns (Kofun era. 3rd-7th C))

• Haji-ki pottery (successor of Yayoi pottery) and Sue-ki pottery (imported new technology from Korean peninsula using potter’s wheel and high-temperature kiln)
• Kofun tumulus (chambered barrow), chambered cairn (including the ones with gable ceiling chamber) and funeral offerings (mirror, sward, jewelry etc.)
• mural Kofun and rock cut tomb
• peculiar burial systems in southern Kyūshū : rock tile piled pit grave, underground tunnel tomb, burial pit with standing stone
• Haniwa terracotta figure and Sekijin stone figure
• Haniwa terracotta cylinder (tube) for reinforcement and protection of Kofun mound
• Iwasaka proto-Shintō stone circle
• "Jonokoshi" fountain site (early example of Japanese garden)
• William Gowland (1842-1922) : the Kofun hunter

ASUKA (592-710CE)
Capital : Asuka
Establishment of the imperial court
Identification of Japan (domestically called "Nihon" or "Nippon") as a country
Introduction of Buddhism
Tribute and dispatch to the Chinese dynasties (Sui, Tang)
Minting of first Japanese coinage
Hegemony tension on the Korean peninsula and Japanese reinforcement to the conflict, complete defeat and subsequent construction of defensive fortress

Related article: ★Enigmatic sculptured stones around Asuka district, Nara pref., Japan (Asuka era, 7th C)

Related article: ★Korean-style or Kōgoishi-type hillforts and Jōsaku fortresses (7th-9th C)

• Saruishi and other enigmatic stones in Asuka district
• Korean-style or Kōgoishi-type hillfort⇒
• post-Kofun burial mound

NARA (710-794CE)
Capital : Nara
Gridded "Heijō-kyō" palace, modeled after capital Chang'gan of Tang dynasty, had 25 km2 in extent and its population increased up to 100.000
2 Governmental branch offices in Kyūshū ("Dazaifu") in the west and Tōhoku ("Tagajō") in the north : conflicts with southern Hayato (or Kumaso) people and northern Emishi people
Reign of aristocracy
Flowering of Buddhist art
Interference of the Buddhist warriors in government of capital Nara

Related article: ★Korean-style or Kōgoishi-type hillforts and Jōsaku fortresses (7th-9th C)

Related article: ★Buddhist Pyramids in Japan, Korea and beyond (Nara era, 8th C)

Related article: ★Theriocephaly (animal-headed man) images in Eastern Asia and beyond (Nara era)

• glazed pottery invention⇒
• ⇒Korean-style or Kōgoishi-type hillfort
• Buddhist pyramid (proto-pagoda)
• stone pagoda⇒
• ⇒wooden pagoda and temple building⇒
• Buddha footprint⇒
• ⇒Buddhist statue⇒
• Hayato-ishi (image of man with the head of Chinese zodiac animal)
• ⇒Jōsaku fortress in northern frontier with Emishi people's territory⇒
• Jōgan tsunami warning tablet after 869 earthquake
• 3 cherished stelae of ancient Kōzuke district

HEIAN (794-1185CE)
Capital : Kyōto (Heian means 'peace')
Transfer of the capital to break with the Buddhist dominance
Glory of the noble culture and the rise of samurai soldiers (= non-heir or illegitimate noble children and local persons in power both applied themselves for martial arts)
Suspension of Chinese tribute and dispatch, and development of the Japanese own culture (e.g. kana syllabary, mid-ancient literature (Pillow Book, Tale of Genji, Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (Ghibli anime "The tale of Princess Kaguya") etc.) and appreciation for cherry blossoms (shift from Chinese influence of plum (apricot) appreciation) etc.)
Growth of samurai power and shift to their regime, the final battle between 2 major samurai clans for hegemony
Spread of pessimistic view of Buddha’s virtue expired world after 1052 CE (=2000 years after the death of Buddha)

• Koma-inu statues (guardian lion pair in front of Shintō shrines)⇒
• ⇒Magai-butsu (=cliff-carved Buddha)⇒

KAMAKURA (1185-1333CE)
Capital : Kamakura
Birth of samurai shogunate and accomplishment of feudalism
Resumption of Chinese (South Song dynasty) trade and import of the Zen culture
Mongolian (Yuan dynasty) attacks and counterattacks by the Kamikaze (=god’s wind) storms
Economic disorder and feudal dissatisfaction after Mongolian attacks and the Emperor's coup against exhausted samurai shogunate

Related article: ★Japanese Chronology for Dry Landscape Garden since the Kamakura era (13th C)

• Six Ancient Kilns, mainly produced unglazed jars and smashing mortars⇒
• Musō Soseki’s Zen garden
• defensive stone wall in Fukuoka against Mongolian attack
• ⇒small stone pagodas (e.g. gorin-tō, hōkyōin-tō etc.) ⇒
• stupa stela
• ⇒talc-made pot manufacturing factory⇒

MUROMACHI (1333-1467*CE)
Capital : Kyōto (Muromachi is the name of a street in Kyōto where the shōgun built his residence)
Temporary imperial restoration, then conflict between northern and southern imperial courts, at last resumption of samurai shogunate
Re-resumption of Chinese (Ming dynasty) trade
Successor conflict and split of shogunate, then beginning of everlasting disorder of society
*In 1467 Ōnin war, successor conflict and split of Muromachi shogunate, occurred and it developed into a civil war but the shogunate barely continued until the exile of the last shōgun in 1573. So MUROMACHI era is alternatively supposed to have had a span between 1333-1573 from the political point of view.

• ⇒Tate hillfort⇒

warring state (SENGOKU) (1467**-1603CE)
Capital : anarchy
Destructive collapse of Kyōto metropolis, whole social hierarchy and human morality throughout Japan : Historical setting for many Korosawa films ; "Seven Samurai", "Throne of Blood", "Hidden Fortress", "Ran" and "Kagemusha", along with Mizoguchi's "Ugetsu" and Shindō's "Onibaba" (actually the story of the latter is set earlier in the period of imperial conflict in late 14C)
Fragmentation of Japan and rise of upstart landlords, then tournament strife for territory capture by outstanding landlords
Arrival of Western culture, Christianity and firearms
Temporally reunification of Japan and subsequent failed invasion of Korean peninsula and kidnapping of Korean potters
Development of the tea ceremony and related culture
**Latter part (1573-1603CE) of SENGOKU era after the dominance of conquering landlords is supposed to be a process of the re-unifying of Japan, and is often called independently AZUCHI-MOMOYAMA (both were names of places where grandeur castles of 2 dominant landlords were built) era which succeeded the longer account MUROMACHI era.

• porcelain (robbed technology from Korean peninsula)⇒
• Sesshū’s ‘ink wash painting’ style Zen garden
• medieval castle with Tenshu-kaku tower on rigid stone wall
• ⇒garden lantern⇒
• Japanese offensive fortress in Korea

EDO (1603-1868CE)
Capital : Edo (=present day Tōkyō)
Accomplishment of reunification of Japan and stratified society by Tokugawa shogunate the last conqueror with cannons imported from England
Deportation of foreigners and execution of Christian : Scorsese's film "Silence"
National isolation and 2nd stage of growth of Japanese own culture (e.g. ukiyo-e printing, kabuki theatre, haiku poetry etc.)
Restricted trade with China and the Netherlands in Nagasaki “Dejima” settlement, backdoor trade between Satsuma (=present day Kagoshima) domain and Ryūkyū (=present day Okinawa) Kingdom
Resumption of acceptance of Joseon (=Korean) Missions (1428-1443,1590-1596,1607-1811)
News of Opium War and approaching incidents of foreign ships, subsequent xenophobia and diplomatic curiosity, desire for Restoration
US Commodore Matthew C. Perry's dissolution of Japanese isolation for the porpose to get a supply station for their whaling (= mining of living fuel) voyage
Revolt of allied feudal clans and abdication of the last shōgun

• Kobori Enshū's strolling garden
• ⇒Shishigaki stone pile wall
• Jizō (Buddhist statuette on roadside) and other various roadside monuments of folk religions
• Maruishi-gami in Yamanashi prefecture
• Fujizuka and other artificial mounds for mountain worship
• Chikara-ishi
• ⇒Kifu (≒tortoise) pedestal stone for epitaph or other stone tablet
• ⇒modern tombstone⇒
• Bastion fort against foreign invasion
• Philipp von Siebold (1796-1866) : the confidential Japanologist and the reporter of Ishi-no-Hōden

IMPERIAL (1868-1945CE)
Capital : Tōkyō (rename of Edo)
Meiji Restoration : Oligarchy by ex-allied feudal clans to parliamentary democracy
Liberation from stratified society and adoption of family names for common people
Abandon of topknot haircut "chon-mage" and long sword, and adoption of solar calendar and Western foodstuff
"O-yatoi Gaikokujin" the foreign advisors or engineers
Fixed dwelling of Emperor Yoshihito from Kyōto to Tōkyō : Advantage of Shintoism(=worship of imperial family) = Separation of Buddhism-Shinto syncretism = Expulsion of Buddhism
Annexation of Hokkaidō and Okinawa
Adoption of new educational, military and parliament systems
Triumphs at Sino- and Russo-Japanese wars and annexation of Taiwan and Korea
Metropolitan collapse by 1923 Great Kantō Earthquake and reset to the “modern times” (e.g. diffusion of Western clothes, democratic and proletarian thoughts)
Reckless militarism and imperialism, invasion of Chinese continent (then Manchurian foundation), southeastern Asia and the Pacific islands
Battles of Iwo-jima and Okinawa, atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, then unconditional surrender : Clint Eastwood's "Letters from Iwo-jima", manga "Barefoot Gen" and Okamoto's film "Japan's Longest Day"

• Jihei Ogawa's villa garden
• ⇒tsunami stone after 1896 & 1933 earthquakes⇒
• "Aneyoshi" tsunami warning tablet
• statue of Sontoku NINOMIYA

POST WAR (1945CE- )
Occupation by Allied Powers and renunciation of Taiwan, Korea and Okinawa
Emperor Hirohito's proclamation as human being (descend from the throne of living god as he and his long genealogy used be)
Street children, shortage of foods and materials, black market and LARA (Licensed Agencies for Relief in Asia) skim milk support : Ghibli anime "Grave of Fireflies"
Economy recovery by Korean War supply demand
Treaty of San Francisco and comeback to international community
Nobel prize for Dr. Hideki Yukawa and radical industrialization
Miraculous economic recovery and disgrace as “Economic Animal”
Return of Okinawa in 1972 and everlasting stationing of US bases
The energy crisis in 1970’s, the bubble economy in 1980’s and the “Lost (triple or ever after) Decade” since 1990’s
AUM sarin-attack terrorism and Great Hanshin Earthquake both in 1995, Tōhoku Earthquake and tsunami in 2011 and Coronavirus outbreak since 2020

• ⇒Mirei Shigemori's modern dry landscape garden
• replica Moai
• ⇒tsunami stone
• modern tsunami warning tablet after 2011 Tōhoku Earthquake and tsunami

MENHIRS (?)
In rocky island Japan so many natural rocks have been worshiped as "iwakura" the holy medium which deity spirits possess, but artificial standing stones are not so common. Exceptionally they densely distributed in restricted district mentioned bellow. Unfortunately they have been outside the scope of Japanese archaeology so their chronology are uncertain

Related article: ★Standing Stones and Alternative archaeology in Japan: Stone Poles

• Ena city (Gifu prefecture)
• Ōzu city (Ehime prefecture in Shikoku island)
• Yoshino-gawa river basin (Tokushima prefecture in Shikoku island)
• Minami-Ise town (Mie prefecture)

HOKKAIDŌ REGION

POST JŌMON (300BCE-7th C)
Almost same as the life style in previous Jōmon era : hunter-fisherman-collector, proto-farmer
Gradually abandon of tiny figurines, huge monuments and fixed dwellings
Gradually unification of plural regional pottery cultures
Introduction of ironware and import of tropical sea shell accessory

• western, central, north-eastern and south-eastern pottery types (early period), Kōhoku (後北=later Hokkaidō)-type (recently called Ebetsu(=name of place)-type) pottery (middle period) and Hokudai (北大=Hokkaidō University campus)-type pottery (late period)
• appearance of cave carving, disappearance of Dogū figurine, stone circle, henge monument and stone tool
• sea shore village of round and amorphous pit houses with entrance hall, then abandon of fixed dwelling

SATSUMON (7th C-13th C)
Fisherman-farmer
Spread of Kofun culture and cereals cultivation (except rice : rice cultivation could not spread on Hokkaidō until the improvement of hardy bleed in 19th C) from mainland Japan
Diffusion of ironware, decline of stone tool

• Satsumon (=scratched decoration) pottery, influenced by Haji-ki pottery from mainland Japan
• post-Kofun burial mound and burial pit with moat
• river mouth village of square pit houses with wall-attached stove

OKHOTSK (3rd C-9th C)
(sea water) Fisherman-(sea mammal) hunter
Nyvkh (Gilyak) people seemed to bring this maritime culture from Sakhalin or Kuril islands
Origin of bear worship faith later also adopted by Tobinitai and Ainu cultures

• Okhotsk pottery (オホーツク土器)
• stone, bone and horn tools with animal ornaments, import of ironware
• sea shore village of large pentagon or hexagon pit hall with central hearths and small square pit houses
• flexed burial with reversed pottery on its skull

TOBINITAI (9th C-13th C)
Marriage of long-antagonistic Satsumon and Okhotsk cultures : (fresh water) fisherman- (sea mammal) hunter
Import of ironware and export of fur
Bear scull pile in house
"Tobinitai" is the name of place ('wood of dense maple trees' in Ainu language) where the artefacts were discovered (like "Yayoi")

• "Tobinitai" pottery (トビニタイ土器) : hybrid of Satsumon (shape) and Okhotsk (decoration) potteries
• river side village, transition from pentagon or hexagon (Okhotsk style) to square (Satsumon style) pit houses with central hearth or wall-attached stove

AINU (13th C- )
Hunter-collector
Trade and battle with Japanese immgrants’ colony
Popularization of ironware, pottery imitating iron pot with bail holes then abandon of pottery production
Bear sacrifice ritual
Assimilation by Imperial Japan

Related article : ★Chashi Fortress and Gusuku Hillforts

• river side Kotan village of square grass+wood Cise houses with walls and roof
• Chashi hillfort
• fortress constructed by Japanese immigrants for the battle with Ainu people

OKINAWA REGION

SHELL MIDDEN (5000BCE-10th C)
No archaeological site has been discovered during the period of 10000BCE-5000BCE.
Fisherman-collector (plenty of food in subtropical climate of Okinawa seemed to repress the need for agriculture)
Pottery making and importing, and tropical sea shell accessory exporting

• shell midden
• pottery-making and residential sites

GUSUKU (10th C-1322CE)
Introduction of agriculture, growth of population and wealth
Birth of powered persons Aji and construction of their fortress Gusuku
Transit trade with eastern and southeastern Asian countries including China, Korea, Japan, Thailand and more widespread territories

Related article : ★Chashi Fortress and Gusuku Hillforts

• Kamui-yaki pottary
• import of talc-made-pot from Kyūshū and porcelain from China
• Gusuku pottery influenced by imported stone or ceramic wares above
• Gusuku hillfort⇒
• rock-cut tomb developed from cave burial⇒

3 KINGDOMS (1322-1429CE)
Merger of Aji ruled small teritories into 3 (northern, central and southern areas) major Kingdoms
The westernmost Sakishima archipelago, 300 km away from Okinawa main island, had their own (Polynesian?) culture and language then chieftains of them started tribute to Chūzan (=central area) Kingdom

Related article : ★Chashi Fortress and Gusuku Hillforts

• ⇒Gusuku hillfort
• rock cut tomb with facade and front enclosure⇒

RYŪKYŪ KINGDOM (1429-1879CE)
Unification of Ryūkyū (archaic name of Okinawa derived from Chinese) Kingdom by Chūzan King
Annexation of Sakishima archipelago after the suppression of islanders’ rebellions
Subordination to both China (Ming, Qing) and Japan (Satsuma domein)
Annexation by Imperial Japan

Related article : ★Chashi Fortress and Gusuku Hillforts

• Panari-yaki pottary
• "Shuri-jō" castle
• "Tama Udun" tomb, ⇒giant flat-roof tomb with front enclosure and giant turtleback tomb with front enclosure⇒
• Myāka and Haya cists
• Hibanmui beacon-and-watch tower
• stellar observation stone
• Ishigantō tablet⇒
• Shīsā (lion) statues⇒
• tsunami stone after 1771 earthquake
• Ibi stone in forbidden Utaki (or Ugan) precinct