Yayoi

Yayoi refers to a period and associated cultural complex in the history of Japan, roughly dated from 300 BCE to 300 CE. It follows the late Jomon period and precedes the Kofun period. The name is derived from the Yayoi district of Tokyo, where early modern archaeologists identified distinctive remains that came to define the culture.

Origins and development: The Yayoi is marked by the introduction of wet-rice agriculture, likely brought by settlers from the Asian continent, including the Korean Peninsula. Over several centuries rice farming spread from western Japan to central and eastern regions, supporting larger and more permanent settlements. Alongside agriculture, new technologies, including metalworking with bronze and iron, arrived and gradually supplemented or replaced some stone and bone tools.

Material culture and society: Yayoi pottery tends to be wheel-thrown and less decorated than Jomon ware, with simple shapes and red or gray finishes. The period shows increasing social differentiation, with larger, more organized villages and storage facilities, and elite burials often containing metal goods and ritual objects such as bronze bells known as dotaku. The economy was largely agrarian, with surplus production enabling population growth and more complex social structures.

Legacy and interpretation: The Yayoi transition laid the groundwork for the Kofun period, including the rise of centralized political organization in some regions. Archaeologists study Yayoi sites to understand the origins of Japanese agriculture, technology, and social hierarchies, recognizing regional variation in how the culture emerged and spread across the archipelago.