A flat-land building reconstructed at the Ikegami-sone prehistoric site, Osaka Prefecture, in which the thatched roof is supported on walls made of reed-covered poles.

      Jōmon buildings can be classified in different ways. According to one classification system, heichi jūkyo (flat-land dwellings), originally developed in the preceramic period, were simple structures in which the ground served as the floor; tateana jūkyo (pit dwellings) were roofs, or walls with roofs, constructed over circular or rectangular pits; and hottatebashira tatemono (buildings with poles sunk in the ground) were larger buildings with a floor and a roof supported by a post-and-beam structure in which the posts were buried directly in the earth, rather than resting on rocks as in much of the architecture in later periods. Sometimes the floor of the latter was at ground level (hiraya tatemono), and at other times it was raised off the ground (takayuka), as in the case of storehouses or observation towers.

      Pit houses were not suitable for wet areas or in places where there was inadequate drainage. Under the right conditions, however, pit houses helped provide protection against cold in the winter and heat in the summer.

      Temporary flat-land structures, pit houses, and raised floor structures all continued to be employed in the Yayoi Period and even persisted into historic times for use by commoners. Until recently, it was believed that elevated storehouses were first developed in the Yayoi Period. Recent findings, however, indicate that storehouses had earlier, Jōmon origins.

      Flat-land buildings, such as this temporary birthing structure, used until recently to provide ritual isolation for mother and infant, continued into historic times.

      Yayoi Period (300 BCE-300 CE)

      Around 300 BCE, or a little earlier, new people and cultural influences arrived from the Korean Peninsula, bringing metallurgy, large-scale wet rice agriculture based on irrigation, and wheel-made pottery. Originally centered in northern Kyushu, the Yayoi people initially appear to have fought the indigenous Jōmon people, but eventually mingled and interbred with them. This mixture provided the basis for the present-day Japanese people and culture. Many of the distinctive traits of Japanese culture date from these People of Wa, as they were called in early Chinese historical records. Some scholars believe that the Ainu, currently found only in Hokkaido and Sakhalin, may be descendants of a northern branch of the Jōmon people that escaped physical and cultural blending with the Yayoi people. The origins of the Ainu, however, are controversial.

      The increased prosperity brought by the new way of life, with its intensive wet rice agriculture, created distinctions in wealth and an incipient class structure. An increase in population and social stratification eventually led to over 100 small states under the control of a variety of clans known as uji. The clan chief was both the secular and religious leader.

      Elevated storehouses, used to protect rice, eventually developed into early Shinto shrines. Based on a model at the National Museum of Japanese History.

      Tomb Mound Period (300-710 CE)

      By 300 CE, one or more of the Yayoi uji appears to have gained some preeminence over the other clans, giving rise to a succession of imperial dynasties that culminated in the Yamato State of the mid-sixth century.

      The Yamato State, based in the area around the current cities of Nara, Kyoto, and Osaka (the Kinki area), controlled a large area, stretching from Kyushu in the west to the Kanto area in the east. The present imperial family of Japan, said to be the longest lived royal dynasty in the world, is believed to be descended from the ruling family of the Yamato State.

      The Tomb Mound Period, which derives its name from the common practice of burying royalty and high-ranking clan officials in stone tombs covered with large earthen mounds, lasted from around 300 CE (or a little earlier) until 710. It thus overlaps with the coming of Buddhism in the middle of the sixth century. Buddhism, which was brought from China and Korea, introduced the advanced civilization of the continent, thereby bringing the prehistoric era to an end. Tomb mounds, however, continued to be built for another 200 years or so.

      Pit Dwellings

      A pit dwelling was constructed by digging a hole about a meter deep and leaning poles against a rectangular framework to create sloping sides. Thatch was tied to the reinforced sides, leaving openings at the top for smoke to escape.

      Reconstructed Jōmon and Yayoi Settlements

      Reconstructing the past is popular in Japan. The Japanese are intensely interested in their origins and are willing to travel to out-of-the-way places to visit archaeological sites. Various levels of government have responded by investing heavily in reconstructing buildings and other architectural features at prehistoric sites, the most important of which are designated as National Historic Remains.

      Sannai Maruyama Iseki

      Sannai Maruyama Iseki (iseki means "remains") in Aomori Prefecture is the site of a Jōmon village that existed for around 1,500 years, from 3500 to 2000 BCE. The findings at Sannai Maruyama have forced scholars to change their ideas about Jōmon communities. Contrary to earlier beliefs that Jōmon people had a primitive lifestyle based upon hunting wild animals, the residents of Sannai Maruyama settled in one place for an extended period of time, cultivated some food such as chestnuts, imported goods by boat from different parts of Japan, buried their dead, and lived at peace with their neighbors. So far, reconstruction has been completed for one large and five small pit dwellings, three raised floor structures, and one large structure consisting of posts sunk in the ground (perhaps used as a lookout), which may have had a roof. A committee of experts from the fields of architecture, archaeology, and ethnology are continuing research on how to proceed with reconstruction.

      Exterior and interior of the large pit structure used for gatherings at the Fudōdō Iseki Jōmon site.

      Fudōdō Iseki

      Situated at the northeastern corner of Toyama Prefecture, the Fudōdō site dates from around 3000 BCE. Excavations started in 1973 and so far have uncovered 19 house sites, nine deep holes which seem to have been used for storing food, and numerous earthen and stoneware vessels. Especially notable is the evidence of a huge oval-shaped pit building, measuring 8 by 17 meters, in the middle of the settlement. Because this is four to five times larger than an average house site, and has four sets of stone structures for cooking, it is believed that this building was used for gatherings. This meeting hall and two other buildings have been reconstructed at the site so far.

      Smoke hole in the roof of the Fudōdō Iseki pit structure.

      Yoshinogari Iseki

      Yoshinogari, in Saga Prefecture, Kyushu, is situated on a low hill bordered by a river on two sides. Excavations, begun in 1986, have uncovered habitation sites spanning the entire Yayoi period (300 BCE.-300 CE.). By the latter part of the mid-Yayoi Period, a large-scale settlement guarded by surrounding moats was in place. Excavations have uncovered numerous skeletons buried in ceramic urns and a rich material culture, including bronze implements and

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