A Clay Figure Laid in a Grave
In the summer of 2000, on a plateau at the southwestern foot of the Yatsugatake mountains, a large clay figure came to light at the Nakappara site in Chino, Nagano. It lay on its right side inside a pit, the left arm reaching toward the floor, almost the whole body intact. Complete clay figures from the Jomon period are unusual, and one found resting in a burial pit like this is rarer still.
The figure is a dogu, a humanlike clay figurine made during Japan's long Jomon period. This one dates to the Late Jomon, roughly 4,000 years ago. It stands about 34 centimeters and weighs around 2.7 kilograms, large for its kind. Because the head is shaped like an inverted triangle set over the face, as if a mask had been tied across it, the figure has come to be called the Masked Goddess, or Kamen no Megami.
The Nakappara site sits about 950 meters above sea level. Excavations there between 1999 and 2001, prompted by a farmland improvement project, uncovered a settlement at the western end of the plateau and, to the east, a cluster of pits read as graves, ringed by the remains of dwellings. The Masked Goddess came from one of these eastern pits, recorded as Pit No. 70. The body was found on its side, and the right leg had come away from the torso. Study showed the leg was removed deliberately rather than broken by accident, a point that still raises questions about the rite that placed the figure in the ground.
Why It Is a National Treasure
The Agency for Cultural Affairs first listed the figure as an Important Cultural Property on 9 June 2006, then raised it to National Treasure on 21 August 2014. It became the second National Treasure held by the city of Chino. The first, the Jomon Venus, came from the nearby Tanabatake site, and the two figures now stand a short walk apart in the same museum. They are among only five dogu in the country to carry the National Treasure designation.
Several qualities set the Masked Goddess apart. It belongs to a line of heart-shaped clay figures common in the earlier part of the Late Jomon, yet it is far larger than its relatives. The body was built up from coils of clay in the same way as a pot, which left the inside hollow. The maker pressed careful patterns across the torso and finished the legs by polishing them smooth. For a figure of this size to survive nearly whole, and to be recorded exactly as it was buried, is rare enough that specialists treat it as a reference point for understanding Jomon figurines.
What to Look For
Up close, the face repays attention. Fine cords of clay form a V across the upper face, perhaps marking eyebrows, with small holes punched for the nostrils and mouth. Seen from the side or behind, the head reads less as a human face than as a flat mask fixed in place, which is where the nickname comes from.
The body carries its own decoration. Spirals, concentric circles, and bands that cross the chest like a sash run over the torso, while broad hips and thick, rounded legs carry the weight of the figure. The lower body is modeled to show female anatomy clearly, and many researchers read the figure as a woman, possibly one who stood in for the divine during Jomon ceremonies. The legs, left free of pattern and burnished until they catch the light, set off the busy surface above.
At the Togariishi Jomon Archaeological Museum the figure is shown in the round, so a slow walk around the case rewards the effort. The eight pottery vessels found in nearby pits, listed together with the figure in its National Treasure designation, are displayed alongside it.
Visiting and Nearby
The museum stands beside the Togariishi site, a special historic site, and the reconstructed Jomon village at Yosukeone is a short walk away, which makes a half-day visit easy to fill. Both of Chino's National Treasure figures are here: the Jomon Venus in its own room, and the Masked Goddess with its eight attached vessels in Exhibition Room B.
The Nakappara site where the figure was found lies about ten minutes away by car, off the Venus Line in the Hanamaki area, and is kept as a small park with parking. By car the museum is roughly 25 minutes from the Suwa interchange on the Chuo Expressway. Without a car, buses run from Chino Station on the JR Chuo Main Line and reach the museum in about 20 minutes, though services are few, so checking the timetable before setting out saves trouble.
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Q&A
- What is the Masked Goddess?
- It is a large clay figure, or dogu, made in the Late Jomon period about 4,000 years ago and found at the Nakappara site in Chino, Nagano. The inverted-triangle shape of its face suggests a mask, which gives the figure its name.
- Why is it called a goddess?
- The figure is modeled as a woman, and many researchers think such large, carefully made figures represented a woman who acted on behalf of the divine in Jomon rites. The name is a modern nickname rather than an ancient title.
- Where can I see it?
- The original is on permanent display at the Togariishi Jomon Archaeological Museum in Chino, in Exhibition Room B, together with the eight pottery vessels included in its National Treasure designation.
- How is it different from the Jomon Venus?
- Both are National Treasures held in Chino, but they come from different sites and times. The Jomon Venus is older and has a rounded, abstract form, while the Masked Goddess is larger, hollow inside, and marked by its mask-like face.
- Can I visit the place where it was found?
- Yes. The Nakappara site is kept as a small park about ten minutes by car from the museum, with parking available, though the figure itself is housed at the museum.
Basic Information
| Name | Dogu, Excavated from the Nakappara Site, Nagano Prefecture (the Masked Goddess) |
|---|---|
| Location | 4734-132 Toyohira, Chino, Nagano (Togariishi Jomon Archaeological Museum) |
| Designation | National Treasure (Archaeological Materials) |
| Designated | Important Cultural Property: 9 June 2006; National Treasure: 21 August 2014 |
| Quantity | 1 figure (with 8 attached pottery vessels) |
| Period | Late Jomon period, about 4,000 years ago |
| Size | Height about 34 cm; weight about 2.7 kg |
| Owner | City of Chino |
| Access | About 25 minutes by car from Suwa IC (Chuo Expressway); about 20 minutes by bus from JR Chino Station |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Database of Designated Cultural Properties: Dogu, Excavated from the Nakappara Site, Nagano Prefecture
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/201/00011237
- City of Chino, National Treasure Dogu (the Masked Goddess)
- https://www.city.chino.lg.jp/site/togariishi/1754.html
- Togariishi Jomon Archaeological Museum, Hours, Closing Days and Admission
- https://www.city.chino.lg.jp/site/togariishi/1795.html
- Japan Heritage Portal, Dogu the Masked Goddess
- https://japan-heritage.bunka.go.jp/ja/culturalproperties/result/3851/
Last verified: 2026.06.09