Table Of Content（１）The Old Stone Age（–10,000 years ago）
classification how tolive culture references
tool chipped stonetools chipped stonetool
living hunting, fishing and
gathering nuts and
seashells
dwelling simply-structured houses
and rock shelters
chipped stonetools
Chipped stonetools were made out of crushed stone and their surfacewereleft unpolished
Summary
１．Peoplelived by hunting, fishing and gathering nuts and seashells.
２．Peoplebegantousechipped stonetools.
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（２）The Jomon Period（10.000 years ago～4th Century B.C.）
classification how tolive culture references
tool polished stone tools ＝JomonCulture＝
Jomon Pottery
clay figures
living hunting, fishing and Kaizuka
gathering nuts and seashells (shell heap)
dwelling pit houses Sannai-MaruyamaSite
(Aomori Prefecture)
Polished stonetools
Polished stonetools arerounded tools byrounding off thesurface.
Jomon Pottery
The surfaceof pottery is rope-patterned.
Clay figures
Clay figures were used to keep away evil spirits and pray for rich
harvests.
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Kaizuka(shell heap)
Kaizukais a place where ancient people threw away rubbish such as
seashells ontheseashore orwaterfront.
Pit houses
Apit hose was a type of dwelling whose floor was dug into the ground
and whoseroof was covered withthatch.
Summary
１．Peopleused polished stonetools and JomonPottery
２．Pit houses,Kaizuka(shell heap) and clayfigures appeared.
3
（３）TheYayoi Period（the 4th Century B.C. ～the latter half of the 3rd Century B.C.）
classification how tolive culture references
tool Yayoi Pottery ＝Yayoi Culture＝
metal(iron) tools
bronzeswords,
bronze halberds,
bronzemirrors
bell-shaped bronzevessels
living ricefarming
raised granaries
stoneknives
dwelling People lived in pit houses and YoshinogariSite
formed villages.
*Legend: black boldfaces indicate important date and red boldfaces indicateespeciallyimportant date.
year/century politics and economy cultureand life material
aroundA.D. 1 Japan was divided into 100-odd
small countries.
５７ The king of the State of Na sent The golden seal which
diplomats to China and was given a was imprinted “Kan no
goldenseal by theemperor. Wa no NanoKokuo”
２３９ Queen Himiko sent diplomats to
Wei (Gi).
Yayoi Pottery
Yayoi Pottery was thinner and harder than
Jomon Pottery. It was named after the place
of first discovery.
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Metaltools
Metal tools were madeof bronze or iron and introduced from the Chinese Continent. They were mainly
used as containers or jars.
Bell-shaped bronzevessels
Peoplemadebell-shaped bronzevessels.
Raised granaries
People set up tall pillars and put flooring on them to store
rice after harvest.
YoshinogariSite
ItisatypicalsiteoftheYayoiPeriodwhichislocatedinSaga
Prefecture.
The golden seal which was imprinted “Kan no Wa no Na no Kokuo” (“King of the State of Na of
Waof Han(Kan)”)
The king of the State of Na sent diplomats to the Han Dynasty (Kan) in the middle of the 1st century
and was given the golden seal inreturn.
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QueenHimiko
According to the book called Gishiwajinden, which dealt with the
historyof Wei (Gi), there was acountry calledYamataikokuinthe
Japanese archipelago in the 3rd century and the queen called
Himiko governed it by fortune-telling. It also says that Himiko
sent diplomats to Wei and was given many presents by the
emperor.
Summary
１．Ricefarmingspread.
Yayoi Pottery,stoneknives (used tocut ears of rice) and raised granaries appeared.
２．Metaltools were introduced.
Bell-shaped bronzevessels were used as ritual tools.
３．Peopleformed villages and rulers appeared.
４．Therewerea lot ofsmall countries.
TheKing of theState of NaofWawas given a goldenseal by theemperor of Han(Kan).
５．Himiko, QueenofYamataikokuestablished diplomatic relations with Wei (Gi).
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（４）The Kofun Period（the latter half of the 3rd century–around 600）
*Legend: black boldfaces indicate important date and red boldfaces indicateespeciallyimportant date.
year/century politics and economy cultureand life references
around 350 The country in Yamato unified ＝TheKofun(burial
countries into one state, Japan. mound) Culture＝
(YamatoGovernment)
Haniwa(clayfigures)
Chinese and Korean people came
over to Japan around that time.
(Toraijin)
３９１ The Japanese troops made an
expeditiontoKoreaandthenbeat DaisenKofun
Paekche (Kudara) and Silla
(Shiragi). They also fought with Types of Burial Mound
Kokuryo(Kokuri).
４７８ Bu, king of Wa, sent diplomats to
China.
５３８ Buddhism was introduced from
Paekche(Kudara). Keyhole-shaped burial
mound
YamatoGovernment [YamatoCourt]
The Yamato Government [Yamato Court] was established in the region around Nara Basin. It was a
kind of coalition government with a strong political power, made up of kings as leaders and powerful
clans intheKinki area.The kingofYamatoGovernmentwas called Okimi (Great King).
ZenpoKoenFun(keyhole-shaped burialmound)
Around the end of the Yayoi Period, large burial mounds began to be built in many places for rulers.
They are called “Kofun.” Some were round, and others were square-shaped or keyhole-shaped.
Keyhole-shaped ones are called “ZenpoKoen Fun.”
Haniwa(clayfigures)
Clay objects shaped like human beings, horses or houses were made. They were for ritual use and
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buried around burialmounds.
Toraijin(Chinese and Korean immigrants toJapan)
People who immigrated from the Korean Peninsula to Japan were called Toraijin. They helped
popularize iron farming tools, and introduced continental culture (e.g. Kanji, Chinese characters) and
skills (e.g. Sueki, unglazed ceramic ware).
Summary
１．Large burialmounds (Kofun) were built inmanyplaces for rulers.
◇Peopleplaced Haniwa aroundKofun. It looked likepeople, horsesor houses.
◇DaisenKofunis the largest mound intheworld, It is keyhole-shaped.
２．YamatoGovernment was formed intheNara region.
３．Theking ofYamatoGovernment [YamatoChotei] was called “Okimi(theGreat king).”
４．Therewas anactive exchange between Japan and Korea, and a lot of Toraijincame over toJapan.
５．Toraijin introducedcontinental cultureandskills.
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（５）The Asuka Period（around 600–710）
*Legend: black boldfaces indicate important date and red boldfaces indicateespeciallyimportant date.
year/century politics and economy cultureand life references
５９３ Prince Shotokubecameregent. ＝AsukaCulture(Buddhist Tamamushi no
６０３ PrinceShotokuestablished the Culture)＝ zushi
Twelve-Cap RankingSystem. It is aminiature
Horyuji Temple shrine. （Horyuji
６０４ PrinceShotokuestablished the It was theoldest wooden Temple）
Seventeen-Article Constitution. temple intheworld.
PrinceShotoku
Horyuji Temple
It is registered as World
Heritage.
Miroku bosatsu zo
６０７ Ono no Imokowas sent to Sui (statueof Miroku
(Zui) as envoy. bosatsu)
（Koryuji Temple）
６３０ The first envoyto Tang(To)
Dynastywas sent. (Kentoshi)
Shakasansonzo(statueof
the Shaka Triad)
６４５ TaikaReform began.
(Horyuji Temple)
６７２ Jinshin noRan (Jinshin
Disturbance) occurred.
Mirokubosatsuzo
statueof Miroku
bosatsu
(Chuguji-temple)
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Regent
It is a post which was set when the emperor was a woman or a young child. He governed the country
on behalf of the emperor.
Twelve-Cap RankingSystem
Prince Shotoku took people with talents and achievements into government service regardless of their
lineage.
Seventeen-Article Constitution
PrinceShotokuestablised the rules that officials should follow, such asthe obedienceto the emperor,
Kenzuishi (Official Japaneseenvoy toSui (Zui))
Ono no Imoko and other people were sent to Sui in order to soak up advanced institutional system and
cultureof China.
Kentoshi (OfficialJapaneseenvoy toTang (To))
Peopleweresent toTang in order tosoak up advanced institutionalsystem and culture of China.
Jinshin no Ran(JinshinDisturbance)
AfterthedeathoftheEmperorTenji,therewasawaroverhissuccessor. TheEmperorTenmuwonthe
war and took over thethrone.
Taika Reform
Prince Naka no Oe and Nakatomi no Kamatari (later Fujiwara no Kamatari) overthrew the Soga
family.
They started the reform to make a new governmental organization. They tried to rule the lands and
citizens directly, formerly owned byclans (Kochi-Komin).
AsukaCulture
Buddhism was introduced from Paekche(Kudara) inthemiddle of 6thcentury and PrinceShotoku
and the Soga family tried to spread it. Culture based on Buddhism prospered mainly in the Asuka
area.
Horyuji Temple
It is a temple remembered in connection with Prince Shotoku in Nara prefecture and one of the
representative architectures intheAsukaperiod. It was registered as World Heritage.
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Description:（１）The Old Stone Age（–10,000 years ago） classification how to live culture references tool chipped stone tools chipped stone tool living hunting
