Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan

The Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan are a serial UNESCO World Heritage inscription of archaeological sites located across northern Honshu and southern Hokkaido, including locations in Aomori Prefecture. The group comprises 17 component sites that together illustrate the long span and complexity of the Jomon period.

The ensemble includes settlement sites, shell middens, and burial and ritual locations where visitors can see excavated foundations and reconstructions of pit dwellings and earthen features. One of the best-known component sites contains large-scale settlement remains and reconstructed structures that show domestic layouts and craft production areas. Outdoor visitor facilities and onsite museums at several components present excavated pottery, stone tools, and bone implements recovered by archaeological research.

The sites were created and used by Jomon hunter-gatherer communities over many millennia, from the early Holocene through the late Jomon period. Archaeological investigations since the 20th century have documented pottery styles, residence patterns, and ritual deposits that demonstrate long-term occupation and cultural continuity.

The component sites are distributed across northern Japan, including parts of Aomori Prefecture and neighboring northern regions, set in coastal plains, river valleys, and low hills. Individual sites are accessed from local towns and regional cities in northern Honshu and southern Hokkaido.

• Component sites: Composed of 17 component archaeological sites illustrating the Jomon period of prehistoric Japan.
• Cultural period: Represents the Jomon cultural sequence from roughly 14,500 to 300 BCE, noted for early pottery and pit-dwelling settlements.