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169 places in the atlas, 24 of them inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage.
🇯🇵 Japan · Rock art
Late Jomon to Epi-Jomon / Zoku-Jomon (c.300 BCE–350 CE, figures ~1600 BP) · Zoku-Jomon
Zoku-Jomon rock art cave (800 engravings, ~1600 BP) — winged figures pecked into soft Miocene tuff on Maruyama Hill.
🇯🇵 Japan · Ancient village
Early–Middle Jomon 3500–2000 BCE · Jomon Early–Middle Hokkaido maritime
Early–Middle Jomon coastal settlement (3500–2000 BCE) on Ofune River terrace facing Uchiura Bay, Hokkaido, renowned for 100+ deep pit graves, stone pile graves, and massive whale-bone midden (sperm…
🇯🇵 Japan · Tumulus
Asuka Late 645–710 CE → Nara 710–784 · Yamato–Asuka (Chinese Kaiyuan–Korean star lore)
Asuka round tomb (700 CE) at Kitora south Asuka — 13.8 m with 28-zodiac astronomical ceiling and four gods National Treasure murals.
🇯🇵 Japan · Tumulus
Kofun Late Asuka 7th–8th c CE · Asuka court elite — naturalistic procession mural
Takamatsuzuka Tumulus Nara — 7th–8th c CE decorated kofun (stone chamber 2.65×1.0×1.13 m) on Asuka hill 500 m north Kitora, famous 1972 National Treasure discovery of Asuka court murals: west wall…
🇯🇵 Japan · Ancient village
Final Jomon to Early Yayoi 1000–300 BCE · Kamegaoka culture (Final Jomon–Yayoi transition, Tsugaru)
Final Jomon–Early Yayoi ritual settlement (c.1000–300 BCE) on Kamegaoka plateau at Tsugaru City — 4 ha with 40 pit dwellings, ritual clay figurine (shakōki-dogū Goggle-eyed) concentration (over 200…
🇯🇵 Japan · Tumulus
Middle Kofun 5th c CE (Yamato apex) · Yamato middle Kofun (Mozu group)
Daisenryo Kofun — largest kofun in Japan (486 m long, 35 m high) and one of world's largest tombs (equal Great Pyramid footprint), built mid 5th c CE (c.425–475) for Emperor Nintoku per tradition, on…
🇯🇵 Japan · Ancient village
Middle to Late Jomon 3500–1700 BCE · Middle–Late Jomon (Hachinohe region)
Middle–Late Jomon lacquer production village (c.3500–1700 BCE) on the Nii River terrace at Hachinohe, Aomori — 3 ha with 80+ pit dwellings, large midden, and lacquer-ware workshop that produced 400+…
🇯🇵 Japan · Ancient village
Middle to Late Jomon 3500–1700 BCE · Middle–Late Jomon (Hachinohe wetland)
Middle–Late Jomon wetland shell midden (c.3500–1700 BCE) adjacent to Korekawa at Chōshichiyachi, Hachinohe — 2 ha midden (Corbicula and yamato shijimi) 3 m thick with 20+ pit dwellings and…
🇯🇵 Japan · Ancient village
Yayoi period 400 BCE–300 CE (peak 1st–3rd c CE) · Yayoi (Kyushu farmer, Korean peninsula immigrants)
Largest Yayoi (400 BCE–300 CE) moated village and chiefdom at Yoshinogari hills, 40 ha inner enclosure within 117 ha, with outer moat 2.5 km, watchtowers, raised-floor granary precinct, and king's…
🇯🇵 Japan · Archaeological wonder
Incipient→Early→Middle Jomon 10000–1000 BCE (Jomon hunter-fisher-gatherer with peat preservation) · Jomon (Wakasa Bay Incipient–Early Jomon, Neolithic without agriculture)
Early–Middle Jomon shell midden and wetland village (c.12000–3000 BP, 10000–1000 BCE) at Torihama lowland wetland near Lake Mikata, Wakasa, Fukui — 2 ha peat midden excavated 1962–85 by Wakasa Mikata…
🇯🇵 Japan · Tumulus
Kofun Late 500–600 CE (Yamato Kinmei) · Yamato Late Kofun with Silla–Sassanian imports
Largest unlooted Late Kofun mound (560–590 CE) at Fujinoki west Horyu-ji — 48 m gilt-crown and Sassanian glass in stone corridor.
🇯🇵 Japan · Ancient village
Jomon Late 1000 BCE → Epi-Jomon 300 BCE–500 CE → Satsumon 500–1100 CE → Honshu Yayoi influence · Epi-Jomon (Hokkaido) with Yayoi rice intrusion
Hokkaido rice-frontier paddy trial (300 BCE–300 CE) at Kashiwabara Ebetsu — 8 pit houses with failed rice vs salmon–nut; paddy northern limit.
🇯🇵 Japan · Megalith
Final Jomon 1200–800 BCE · Jomon Final Hokkaido
Late Jomon collective burial banked circles (1200–800 BCE) on terrace above Ushiku River at Chitose — 9 embanked circular enclosures diameter 12–75 m built of external ditch and internal bank housing…
🇯🇵 Japan · Ancient city
Nara Period 710–784 CE (with brief return 745–784) · Yamato / Nara Japanese (Ritsuryo)
Imperial palace of Heijō-kyō capital (710–784 CE) modeling Tang Chang'an, 1.2×1.6 km enclosure with Daigokuden audience hall, Suzaku Gate and Eastern Palace Garden ponds.
🇯🇵 Japan · Archaeological wonder
Incipient Jomon (12000) → Early Jomon 8000–6000 BCE (Jomon lakeshore forager) · Jomon (Lake Biwa Incipient–Early Jomon)
Incipient–Early Jomon lakeshore shell midden (c.12000–6000 BCE) on Lake Biwa eastern bank at Awazu, Otsu — 0.8 ha freshwater shell mound (Seta shijimi clam) excavated 1962–86 by Shiga Prefecture,…
🇯🇵 Japan · Ancient village
Jomon Early 5000 BP → Late Jomon 3000 BP · Jomon San'in coastal — Tawayama Hamayu tradition
Tawayama Shell Midden — Jomon mid-to-late shell midden (5000–3000 BP) on Tawayama hill at Lake Koyama 5 km NW Tottori, San'in Sea of Japan coast, excavated 1980s–90s by Tottori University.
🇯🇵 Japan · Tumulus
Kofun Late 7th–early 8th c CE (Asuka) · Asuka late Kofun court — shijin astronomical Daoist
Kitora Tumulus Nara — 7th–8th c CE late Kofun painted tomb (zenpo-koen remnant 13.8×9.8 m) on Abuyama hill at Asuka, Nara basin, National Treasure since 1983.
🇯🇵 Japan · Ancient village
Jomon Final 1000 BCE → Yayoi Incipient 930–600 BCE → Yayoi Early 600 BCE–100 CE · Jomon–Yayoi rice transition (Saga plain)
Japan's earliest rice contender (930–600 BCE) at Nabatake Karatsu — paddy bunds 2×1.5 m with incipient rice and ard-marks vs Itatsuke debate.
🇯🇵 Japan · Megalith
Jomon Mid–Late 2500–1800 BCE (Hokkaido) · Jomon Hokkaido (Oshima–Shakotan)
Hokkaido Jomon stone circle (2500–1800 BCE) at Oshoro Otaru — 30 m with 47 boulders and Fusen rock art above Oshoro Bay.
🇯🇵 Japan · Temple complex
Asuka 593–710 CE (Suiko–Jomei) · Asuka Buddhist (Baekje immigrant artisan school → Japanese)
Asukadera (Hōkō-ji) — first full Buddhist temple in Japan (596 CE) at Asuka, founded by Soga no Umako with immigrant Baekje artisans (Koreans) per Nihon Shoki.
🇯🇵 Japan · Ancient village
Early to Middle Jomon 4500–2500 BCE (Jomon 2–4) · Early–Middle Jomon (Tōhoku coastal)
Early–Middle Jomon coastal shell midden and settlement (c.4500–2500 BCE) at Shichinohe on the Lake Ogawara plain — massive shell mound 120×80 m (Late Jomon layers 3 m thick) with 40+ pit dwellings,…
🇯🇵 Japan · Ancient village
Late to Final Jomon 2000–500 BCE · Late–Final Jomon (Lake Toya)
Late–Final Jomon permanent settlement (c.2000–500 BCE) at Lake Toya, counterpart to Takasago cemetery — 1.2 ha Irie terrace with 50+ pit dwellings, large shell middens, and lakeside fishing weirs…
🇯🇵 Japan · Ancient village
Incipient Jomon (15000–10000 BCE) → Initial Jomon (10000–6000 BCE) · Incipient–Initial Jomon (Tsugaru)
Initial Jomon (Incipient) settlement (c.15000–13000 BCE) at Sotogahama, Tsugaru Peninsula — 0.7 ha terrace with earliest pottery in Japan (Odai Yamamoto I pottery, 16500 cal BP via AMS), ground…
🇯🇵 Japan · Ancient village
Late to Final Jomon 2500–400 BCE · Late–Final Jomon (Tsugaru coastal)
Late to Final Jomon shell midden (c.2500–400 BCE) on the Japan Sea coastal dune at Tsugaru City, Aomori — 6.3 ha site with shell mound (Corbicula, Ezo surf clam) 2.5 m thick, 30+ pit dwellings, and…
