Artifacts from the Motoyashiki Site: A Window into Jōmon Life in the Mountains of Niigata

Deep in the mountainous interior of Murakami City, Niigata Prefecture, a remarkable collection of 1,718 artifacts tells the story of a thriving Jōmon-period community that flourished for over a thousand years. The Artifacts from the Motoyashiki Site in Niigata Prefecture (新潟県元屋敷遺跡出土品) were designated as a nationally Important Cultural Property in September 2015, recognized for their exceptional academic value in illuminating the cultural exchanges, spiritual life, and stone tool production technologies of the Late and Final Jōmon periods, roughly 4,000 to 2,300 years ago.

The Motoyashiki Site was part of the Oku-Miomote Archaeological Site Group, a cluster of 19 sites discovered in the upper reaches of the Miomote River. Before the construction of the Oku-Miomote Dam submerged the area, extensive excavations were carried out over six years between 1991 and 1998, covering an area of more than 33,000 square meters. This rare full-scale excavation of an entire settlement has yielded an extraordinarily complete picture of Jōmon mountain life.

Why Were These Artifacts Designated as an Important Cultural Property?

The collection was recognized because it provides uniquely comprehensive evidence of life during the Late and Final Jōmon periods. The 1,718 designated items include 287 pottery and clay objects (186 vessels including complete pieces, 44 clay figurines known as dogū, 32 earrings, and 2 bracelets), 1,423 stone tools and stone objects (187 polished stone axes, 55 stone rods and swords, 45 dokko-shaped stones, 239 beads, and 25 perforated stone items), 2 lacquered wooden object fragments, and 6 bone and antler tool fragments.

These artifacts demonstrate that the Motoyashiki settlement served as a vital hub connecting the Sea of Japan side with the Pacific side of northern Honshu. The pottery reveals influences from both the Tōhoku (northeastern) and Hokuriku (north-central) regions, while the presence of jade beads, asphalt, and cinnabar — materials not locally available — confirms extensive inter-regional trade networks. The site also produced over 13,000 unfinished polished stone axes, indicating large-scale stone tool manufacturing for export to other communities.

Highlights of the Collection

The Oku-Miomote Story: A Community Lost Beneath the Waters

The Motoyashiki Site is located in the Oku-Miomote area of Murakami City, situated on a river terrace at approximately 200 meters elevation along the left bank of the Miomote River. The area was known as a settlement site since the Meiji era, and people continued to live in the nearby Miomote village until 1985, when residents were relocated ahead of dam construction. These mountain-dwelling people called themselves "yamando" (mountain people) and spoke of being "sustained by the mountains."

The archaeological excavations revealed a settlement approximately 14,800 square meters in extent — roughly the size of 0.3 Tokyo Domes — that was continuously occupied for over 1,000 years. Researchers discovered 23 pit dwellings, 62 raised-floor buildings, 99 stone-lined graves and stone-covered pits, 65 burial pits, 204 buried pottery vessels, 53 stone arrangement features, roads, water facilities, and earth mounds. The residents gathered chestnuts, walnuts, and horse chestnuts, wove plant-fiber textiles, and maintained an information network connecting communities across the Japanese archipelago.

Visiting the Collection: Jōmon no Sato Asahi

The artifacts from the Motoyashiki Site are housed and displayed at the Jōmon no Sato Asahi (Oku-Miomote Historical Exchange Hall), a museum dedicated to preserving and sharing the heritage of the Oku-Miomote region. The museum presents archaeological artifacts alongside folk materials from the modern Miomote village community, creating a fascinating comparison between ancient and recent mountain lifeways.

The museum regularly rotates its displays of Important Cultural Property pieces and holds special exhibitions twice a year, ensuring fresh discoveries with every visit. An ongoing conservation and restoration project, supported by national government subsidies since 2017, continues to repair and preserve designated pottery for public display.

Beyond its exhibitions, the museum offers a variety of hands-on workshops that bring the Jōmon period to life. Visitors can try making magatama beads from soapstone, crafting pottery using the traditional coil-building technique, creating stone tools from obsidian, weaving on an ancient-style loom, making fire by friction, and even trying their hand at soba noodle making. The on-site restaurant "Yamabiko" (open seasonally, typically late April to mid-November) serves local specialties including handmade buckwheat soba and dishes featuring mountain vegetables.

Nearby Attractions

A visit to Jōmon no Sato Asahi can be combined with exploring the rich natural and cultural heritage of the Murakami area. The Asahi Super Line scenic drive passes through magnificent old-growth forests in the surrounding Asahi Mountain range. Futago-shima Forest Park, located about 2.6 kilometers from the museum, offers camping and outdoor recreation by the lake. The city of Murakami itself is renowned for its traditional salmon culture, historic samurai district, castle ruins, and the famous Senami Onsen hot spring resort along the Sea of Japan coast. For nature lovers, the area around the Oku-Miomote Dam provides beautiful scenery through all four seasons.