Artifacts Excavated from the Motoyashiki Ruins in Niigata: 1718 Jomon Finds
The Artifacts Excavated from the Motoyashiki Ruins in Niigata (新潟県元屋敷遺跡出土品) are a group of 1718 pottery vessels, stone tools and other finds, mainly of the Late and Final Jomon period, recovered from the Motoyashiki site in Murakami City, Niigata Prefecture, during construction of the Okumiomote Dam, and designated a national Important Cultural Property in 2015.
They belong to Murakami City and are kept at Jomon no Sato Asahi, the Okumiomote Historical Exchange Hall, in Iwakuzure, Murakami. According to the museum, the site lay on a river terrace 190 to 200 metres above sea level on the upper Miomote River, which rises in the Asahi mountains. The Okumiomote sites were excavated from 1988 to 1998, and the Motoyashiki site now lies beneath the reservoir.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs lists 287 pottery and clay items, 1423 stone tools and stone objects, 2 fragments of lacquered wood and 6 fragments of bone and antler tools.
Why They Were Designated
The Agency points to pottery of many types and shapes bearing decorative elements from the Tohoku and Hokuriku regions, deep bowls with strong local character, and rare forms such as ring-shaped spouted vessels and lipped bowls with human faces. Clay figurines and hemispherical ear ornaments reflect varied cultural contacts, and the stone tools show intensive tool making. The Agency judges the group of high scholarly value for understanding daily life, spiritual culture and trade across mountains and valleys.
The museum says excavation uncovered 23 pit buildings, 62 post-built buildings, 99 stone-lined graves and pits, 65 pit graves and 204 buried pots. More than 13,000 unfinished polished stone axes were found, suggesting mass production for export to other areas, while jade beads, asphalt and cinnabar point to goods obtained through exchange.
What to Look For
The designated group includes 186 pots, 44 clay figurines, 32 ear ornaments, 239 beads and 187 polished stone axes. In the displays, look for vessels with distinctive shapes such as the ring-shaped spouted pots and a spouted bowl in the form of a seashell.
Stone rods, swords and blades, tokko-ishi and stone crowns, objects for ritual rather than daily use, were also found in numbers. Pottery from Tohoku and Hokuriku alongside stone tools peculiar to Hokuriku marks Motoyashiki as a hub on trade routes linking the Sea of Japan and Pacific sides of northern Japan.
Visiting
The Artifacts Excavated from the Motoyashiki Ruins in Niigata can be seen at Jomon no Sato Asahi, open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (March to December); from January 2027, January and February hours will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It closes on Mondays (the next day if Monday is a holiday) and from 28 December to 4 January. From July 2026 admission is 600 yen for adults and 150 yen for school pupils. Not every designated item is always on show, so ask in advance on 0254-72-1577 if you want to see something in particular.
A bus from JR Murakami Station on the Uetsu Line to the Jomon no Sato Asahi terminus takes about 40 minutes. By car it is about 15 minutes from the Asahi Miomote interchange of the Nihonkai-Tohoku Expressway.
Q&A
- What are the Artifacts Excavated from the Motoyashiki Ruins in Niigata?
- A group of 1718 mainly Late and Final Jomon finds, including pottery and stone tools, from the Motoyashiki site in Murakami City, designated an Important Cultural Property in 2015.
- Where can I see the Artifacts Excavated from the Motoyashiki Ruins in Niigata?
- At Jomon no Sato Asahi, the Okumiomote Historical Exchange Hall, in Iwakuzure, Murakami. Adult admission is 600 yen.
- What kinds of objects are in the Motoyashiki group?
- 186 pots, 44 clay figurines, 32 ear ornaments, 239 beads and 187 polished stone axes among others, including unusual shapes such as ring-shaped spouted vessels.
- What happened to the Motoyashiki site?
- It was excavated ahead of the Okumiomote Dam and now lies beneath the reservoir.
- Why are the Motoyashiki finds important?
- Pottery and tools with Tohoku and Hokuriku elements make them valuable for understanding Jomon daily life, spiritual culture and long-distance trade.
Basic Information
| Name | Artifacts Excavated from the Motoyashiki Ruins in Niigata (新潟県元屋敷遺跡出土品) |
|---|---|
| Location | 612-118 Iwakuzure, Murakami City, Niigata Prefecture (Jomon no Sato Asahi) |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (archaeological materials) |
| Year Designated | Designated 2015/9/4 (Heisei 27) |
| Quantity | Set of 1718 items |
| Dimensions | 287 pottery and clay items, 1423 stone items, 2 lacquered wood fragments, 6 bone and antler fragments |
| Owner | Murakami City |
| Public Access | On display at Jomon no Sato Asahi; 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (shorter hours in winter), closed Mondays, admission charged |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Motoyashiki site finds (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/201/00011684
- Cultural Heritage Online: Motoyashiki site finds (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/237741
- Jomon no Sato Asahi: Motoyashiki finds designated (Japanese)
- https://www.iwafune.ne.jp/~joumon/treasure1.html
- Jomon no Sato Asahi: Visitor information (Japanese)
- https://www.iwafune.ne.jp/~joumon/fee.html
- Jomon no Sato Asahi: Access (Japanese)
- https://www.iwafune.ne.jp/~joumon/profile.html
- Murakami City: Jomon no Sato Asahi (Japanese)
- https://www.city.murakami.lg.jp/site/kanko/joumonnnosato-asahi.html
Last verified: 2026.09.27