Katsusaka Site: Step into a 5,000-Year-Old Jomon Village in Sagamihara
On a quiet wooded terrace overlooking the Sagami River, just an hour from central Tokyo, lies one of Japan's most influential archaeological sites. The Katsusaka Site (勝坂遺跡, Katsusaka iseki) is the remains of a large Middle Jomon period settlement that flourished some 5,000 years ago. Designated a National Historic Site in 1974, it gave its name to "Katsusaka-style pottery," one of the most flamboyantly decorated ceramic traditions of prehistoric Japan, and was the birthplace of a revolutionary theory about agriculture in the Jomon era. Today, the site is preserved as Katsusaka Archaeological Park, where visitors can step inside reconstructed pit dwellings and walk through a landscape that has changed remarkably little in five millennia.
A Discovery That Rewrote Japanese Archaeology
In 1926, Kashiwa Oyama (1889–1969), an army officer and archaeologist who was the second son of the celebrated General Oyama Iwao, conducted excavations on a terrace in the village of Isobe, west of Tokyo. What he found astonished the archaeological world of the time. Among the soil emerged Jomon earthenware vessels of unprecedented sculptural exuberance: pots ringed with three-dimensional clay-strip ornaments and crowned with handles modelled as human or animal faces.
Oyama had studied modern stratigraphic methods in Germany, and applied them rigorously at Katsusaka. His scientific approach helped lift Japanese archaeology out of the "treasure hunt" mode that had dominated the early 20th century. The pottery he unearthed was later designated the type specimen for an entire ceramic phase, named "Katsusaka-style" (勝坂式) after the site itself.
Equally consequential was Oyama's hypothesis about the many chipped stone axes he recovered. He argued that they were not weapons but agricultural implements—digging tools used to till the soil. From this observation he proposed the radical idea that the Jomon people, traditionally regarded as pure hunter-gatherers, may have practised some form of primitive cultivation. This "Jomon agriculture theory" remains one of the most influential and debated propositions in Japanese prehistoric studies, and Katsusaka is forever associated with its birth.
Why the Site Was Designated a National Historic Site
The Katsusaka Site was designated a National Historic Site of Japan on 2 July 1974, when Site D — a portion of the settlement uncovered in 1973 — was first protected. Additional designations followed in 1980, 1984, 2006 and 2019. Together, Sites D and A now cover roughly 47,000 square metres of preserved land.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs cites three principal reasons for the site's designation. First, it is a stable, long-occupied settlement on the western edge of the Sagamihara terrace, with finds clustered in four distinct areas (Sites A, B, C and D) spanning from the middle to the end of the Middle Jomon period (roughly 3500–2500 BCE). Second, the pottery excavated here was so distinctive that it became the standard type for Middle Jomon ceramics across the Kanto and Chubu regions. Third, the site occupies a unique place in the history of Japanese archaeology as the origin of the primitive-agriculture debate and as one of the earliest applications of stratigraphic excavation method in Japan.
Subsequent additional designations have also recognised stone-paved dwellings and stone-arrangement features discovered on the eastern side of the site, demonstrating that the settlement was even more extensive than originally thought.
Highlights for Visitors
Reconstructed Pit Dwellings
The heart of the park is a pair of full-scale reconstructed pit dwellings (tateana jukyo), built to represent how Jomon people actually lived. One has a roof thatched with earth, the other with sasa bamboo grass — both techniques attested in archaeological evidence. Inside, you can sit beside the central hearth, look up at the smoke-blackened rafters, and imagine cooking, sleeping and storytelling in this dim, surprisingly cosy space. From Wednesday to Sunday, when staff are on hand, you can even step inside the bamboo-grass dwelling.
A Replica Flagstone Dwelling
Near the end of the Middle Jomon period, a curious new type of dwelling appeared: shikiishi jukyo, or flagstone dwellings, whose floors were carefully paved with flat river stones. A faithful outdoor replica of one such structure is displayed in the park, offering a glimpse of an architectural style whose function remains a subject of scholarly debate.
The Forested Landscape
Perhaps the most evocative element of Katsusaka is the setting itself. The site sits on the edge of a terrace at about 70 metres elevation, overlooking the Sagami River. Slopes thick with chestnut, oak and other broadleaf trees descend toward springs that still bubble from the foot of the bluff. Caretakers have planted a "living forest" of food-bearing trees to recreate the kind of managed woodland the Jomon people likely maintained around their villages. Walking the trails, with bird calls overhead and water trickling below, gives a powerful sense of why people chose to settle here.
Artifacts in the Management Building
The park's small administrative building displays a selection of excavated artifacts and explanatory panels covering the history of investigation, the development of pottery styles, and the spread of Katsusaka culture across the Kanto and Chubu regions. The most spectacular of the pottery — including renowned face-handled and animal-handled vessels — is curated by the Sagamihara City Museum a short drive away.
Around the Site
The Katsusaka area lies within easy reach of several complementary attractions for visitors interested in archaeology, nature and local culture.
- Sagamihara City Museum — Houses many of the most important Katsusaka-style vessels excavated from the site, along with displays covering local history from the Paleolithic to the modern era. About 30 minutes by car from the park.
- Arukatani (有鹿谷) Valley — A small ravine just west of the site, home to the inner shrine (okumiya) of Aruka Shrine. Springs here fed the Jomon settlement, and a separate ritual site (Katsusaka Arukatani Site) has yielded later Kofun-period offerings.
- Sagamigawa Ayuminohashi Bridge and Riverside Trails — A scenic stretch of the Sagami River below the terrace, popular for walking and seasonal cherry blossoms.
- Old Stone Age Hatena Hall (旧石器ハテナ館) — A facility in Tana, Sagamihara, displaying Paleolithic and Jomon artifacts including periodic "treasure" rotations from the Katsusaka collections.
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Q&A
- How old is the Katsusaka Site?
- The settlement dates from the early part of the Middle Jomon period, roughly 5,000 years ago (approximately 3,000 BCE). The site was occupied stably from the middle to the end of the Middle Jomon era.
- What makes Katsusaka-style pottery so special?
- Katsusaka-style vessels are renowned for their three-dimensional sculptural decoration — large applied clay strips, deeply incised lines, and most strikingly, handles modelled as human or animal faces. The style is thought to reflect influences from the mountainous Chubu region and indicates active cultural exchange across a wide area.
- Can I enter the reconstructed pit dwellings?
- Yes. The bamboo-grass-thatched dwelling is open for interior viewing from Wednesday through Sunday, between 9:00 and 16:00, weather permitting. The park grounds themselves are accessible at all times and free of charge.
- How do I get there from Tokyo?
- Take a JR line to Hashimoto or Sagami-Ono, then transfer to the JR Sagami Line to Shimomizo Station. From Shimomizo, it is about a 20-minute walk to the park, or roughly 2 minutes by local bus to the "Kami-Isobe-iriguchi" or "Katsusaka-iriguchi" stop followed by a 5-minute walk.
- Is the site suitable for families with children?
- Very much so. The park is spacious, free, and combines open lawns with woodland paths. The reconstructed dwellings appeal to children's imagination, and seasonal hands-on workshops — making cord-marked pottery, weaving, fire-starting — are sometimes offered. Inquire at the Cultural Property Protection Division for the current calendar.
Basic Information
| Name | Katsusaka Site (勝坂遺跡 / Katsusaka iseki) |
|---|---|
| Designation | National Historic Site of Japan (designated 2 July 1974; additional designations 1980, 1984, 2006, 2019) |
| Period | Middle Jomon Period (c. 3500–2500 BCE) |
| Address | 1780 and surrounding, Isobe, Minami-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture (management building: 1822 Isobe) |
| Designated Area | Site D: approximately 42,951 m²; Site A: approximately 4,104 m² |
| Elevation | Approximately 70 metres above sea level, on a terrace overlooking the Sagami River |
| Access | About 20 minutes on foot from Shimomizo Station on the JR Sagami Line, or a short bus ride from Shimomizo Station |
| Park Hours | Grounds: open at all times, free of charge. Management building and pit dwelling interiors: Wednesday–Sunday, 9:00–16:00 (closed Mondays and Tuesdays, except when these are public holidays) |
| Admission | Free |
| Administered by | Sagamihara City Board of Education, Cultural Property Protection Division (Tel: 042-769-8371) |
References
- 史跡勝坂遺跡公園｜相模原市
- https://www.city.sagamihara.kanagawa.jp/kurashi/shisetsu/kouen_kankou/kouen_ryokuchi/1003090.html
- 勝坂遺跡 – 文化遺産オンライン（文化庁）
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/209950
- Katsusaka Site – Wikipedia (English)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katsusaka_Site
- 勝坂遺跡 – Wikipedia（日本語）
- https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/勝坂遺跡
- 勝坂遺跡 – 国指定文化財等データベース（文化庁）
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/401/819
- 勝坂遺跡国史跡指定50周年記念事業（相模原市プレスリリース）
- https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000369.000072959.html
- 勝坂遺跡 – ニッポン旅マガジン
- https://tabi-mag.jp/kn0766/
Last verified: 2026.05.11