Departments
Intermediate Japanese - Free Online Course
Jōmon Jidai
縄文時代
“the cord-marked era”
The Jōmon Jidai refers to the ancient era in Japanese civilization from around 10,000 B.C.E. up through the 2nd or 3rd century B.C.E. During this period, the inhabitants of the islands mastered a technique of making pottery from coiled clay. This pottery gives the era its name. The Jōmon era is the earliest meaningful period in the history of Japan.
Japanese of the Jōmon era wore robes made from the bark of mulberry trees, and apparently learned how make wicker baskets. Their diet consisted largely of meat and wild fruits: deer, fish, walnuts, and even acorns. They wore jewelry made from shells and bone.
The Japanese of the Jōmon era shared the islands with the Ainu. The Ainu are a Caucasoid people; they are physically distinct from the Japanese. In later years the Ainu were edged out by the Japanese. Today the Ainu live only in Hokkaido, and they number less than a million.