Where Yayoi Culture Took Root in Tokai
The Kaigarayama Shell Mound (貝殻山貝塚) is a Yayoi-period shell mound in Kiyosu City, Aichi Prefecture, designated a Historic Site in 1971.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs lists it under the criterion for shell mounds, settlements, tombs and similar sites.
The Agency notes that it has long been known as lying at the eastern edge of the spread of early Yayoi culture.
Excavations
According to the Agency, several excavations before and after the war showed a shell mound yielding early and middle Yayoi remains, surrounded by deposits extending into the late Yayoi period.
The designated area centres on the shell mound.
What to Look For
The Agency values the site because Ongagawa-type pottery of the early Yayoi and combed-line pottery descended from Jomon traditions are found together, showing how the incoming Yayoi culture related to local culture and took root in the Tokai region.
The coexistence of pottery from western Japan and local Jomon-lineage pottery is the site's defining feature.
Visiting the Kaigarayama Shell Mound
No official visitor information could be found. The Aichi Asahi Site Museum website also introduces the Kaigarayama Shell Mound.
Enquiries go to the Kiyosu City board of education.
Q&A
- When was the shell mound designated?
- On 15 December 1971.
- What kind of site is it?
- A shell mound of the early and middle Yayoi, surrounded by later deposits.
- Why is it important?
- Early Yayoi Ongagawa pottery and local combed-line pottery are found together.
- What is Ongagawa pottery?
- Pottery of the early Yayoi culture that spread through western Japan.
- Where is it?
- In Kiyosu City, Aichi Prefecture.
Basic Information
| Name | Kaigarayama Shell Mound (貝殻山貝塚) |
|---|---|
| Location | Kiyosu City, Aichi Prefecture |
| Designation | Historic Site |
| Year Designated | Designated 1971/12/15 (Showa 46) |
| Quantity | Not recorded in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Dimensions | Not recorded in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Owner | Not recorded in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | No official visitor information found |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Kaigarayama Shell Mound (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/401/1456
- Cultural Heritage Online: Kaigarayama Shell Mound (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/162931
- Aichi Asahi Site Museum (Japanese)
- https://aichi-asahi.jp/
Last verified: 2026.09.28