Fix the mistake: Yayoi period

The Beginning of the Yayoi Period and the Spread of Rice Cultivation

Around the 10th century BCE, rice cultivation was introduced to northern Kyushu. Over approximately 600 years, it spread to Honshu and Shikoku, fundamentally changing Japanese society. Let us examine the beginning of the Yayoi Period.

Basic Knowledge

The Yayoi Period lasted approximately 1,200 years, from around the 10th century BCE to around the 3rd century CE. Its name comes from pottery discovered in 1884 in Hongo Yayoi-cho, Tokyo (present-day Bunkyo Ward).
Rice cultivation reached northern Kyushu through the Korean Peninsula, then spread from western Japan to eastern Japan. The oldest paddy-field remains are at the Nabatake Site in Saga Prefecture and the Itazuke Site in Fukuoka Prefecture; they are dated to around the 10th century BCE.
The main features of the Yayoi Period are:
・The full development of wet-rice cultivation
・Yayoi pottery (thin, reddish-brown, fired at high temperatures)
・The use of metal tools (bronze and iron)
・The emergence of moated settlements and raised-floor storehouses
・The division of small states → integration

Further Study (Background and Impact)

The introduction of rice cultivation did more than introduce rice production; it fundamentally changed the structure of Japanese society.
① Permanent settlement: Because paddy fields were cultivated in the same place for generations, people's ties to the land grew stronger
② Formation of communities: Managing waterways and planting and harvesting rice required group work → villages developed into village communities
③ Surplus production: Rice could be stored for long periods → accumulation of surplus → concentration of wealth
④ Emergence of classes: Differences arose between the rich and poor, leaders and followers, and the roles of men and women
⑤ Emergence of warfare: Conflicts over fields, water, and surplus rice intensified → weapons developed and moated settlements appeared
The Toro Site in Shizuoka Prefecture is a representative late Yayoi site discovered during World War II. Paddy-field remains, raised-floor storehouses, and wooden farming tools were excavated in good condition, providing valuable clues for understanding life in the Yayoi Period.

Points to Note (Easily Confused)

① The name “Yayoi” comes from the place name Hongo Yayoi-cho in Tokyo. It does not describe the pottery's characteristics. ② Research has moved the beginning of the Yayoi Period earlier. Some textbooks state the 4th century BCE, while others state the 10th century BCE. ③ Do not reverse the characteristics of Jomon and Yayoi pottery. Jomon = thick and decorative; Yayoi = thin and practical. ④ Yayoi culture did not reach Hokkaido, where the Continued Jomon Culture developed; Okinawa followed its own path with Shell Mound Culture. ⑤ “Growing rice” did not immediately mean “becoming wealthy.” Early rice cultivation was hard work and had low productivity.

Practice

1. State the origin of the name “Yayoi Period.”
2. Name the two sites where Japan's oldest paddy-field remains were discovered.
3. Describe three changes that the introduction of rice cultivation brought to social structure.