The Paleolithic period of Japan is where it all began. Early Japanese history is traditionally divided into five main periods: the Paleolithic (c. 50,000 BC – c. 12,000 BC), Jomon (c. 11,000 BC – 300 BC), Yayoi (300 BC – 300 AD), Kofun (300 AD – 552 AD), and Yamato (552 AD – 710 AD).
Although the dating of these periods is complex and cultures, in any case, tend to overlap, it is clear that the early Japan underwent profound changes in each of these significant periods.
The Japanese Paleolithic period is the period of human habitation in Japan dated from 50,000 BC to 12,000 BC. It was the period that preceded the Jomon Period. However, the starting date is debated, with 35,000 BC being the most accepted date.
The first human bones were discovered in the city of Hamamatsu, Shizuoka. According to radiocarbon dating, the fossils date back about 14,000 to 18,000 years.
The development of tools made with polished stones, which emerged later in the Neolithic period for the rest of the world, makes this period of prehistoric Japan unique compared to other prehistoric periods.
The First Inhabitants of the Archipelago
The first humans to inhabit the archipelago would be Stone Age hunters from northeast Asia. Traveling in small tribes and using weapons with stone tips, they followed herds of wild animals across land bridges to Japan, formed during the Ice Age.
While many believe they came earlier, it is known that these hunters arrived in Japan no earlier than 35,000 BC. Paleolithic artifacts include finely made blade tools, similar to those from Siberia and Eurasia.
Since no pottery has yet been discovered, on the other hand, the Paleolithic Period in Japan is also referred to as the “pre-pottery” period (Sendoki). In this way, it helps to distinguish its inhabitants from those of the following eras.
Events and Tool Development
A massive volcanic eruption in southern Japan, in Kyushu, around 24,000 to 22,000 years ago spread a distinct ash, the Aira-Tanzawa (AT) pyroclast, across much of the country, dating events in Japan as “before or after AT.” At the same time, the first stone tools began to be made.
From that moment on, pebbles became less important. Small and well-made tools, especially knife-shaped ones, became more important around 16,000 years ago.
The small tools made of quartz and obsidian that predominated between about 16,000 and 13,000 years ago show considerable similarity to tools of the same age in northeast Asia and Europe. The tools from sites on Hokkaido Island are almost identical to those from the Far East and Siberia.
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