| Japan, today, consists of four main islands | | | | (characterized by rice cultivation and new |
| Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku. There | | | | types of pottery) and the Kofun AD300-AD650 |
| are minor island chains, which include | | | | (characterized by the construction of large |
| Okinawa (also called Ryuku Islands) in the | | | | burial mounds for elites).Archaeology is |
| south, the Kuriles north of Hokkaido and the | | | | still done on remains post-dating the Kofun |
| Izu Islands, which extend outwards into the | | | | period but it is in the realms of historic |
| Pacific Ocean.The archipelago which extends | | | | archaeology. The unique features of the |
| from latitude 45 degrees north to latitude 24 | | | | prehistoric archaeology of Japan are the |
| degrees north has a variety of climates and | | | | fairly late adoption of domesticated plants |
| environmental zones. A cool northerly | | | | and animals and the absence of a formal |
| climate characterizes Hokkaido whereas the | | | | Bronze or Iron Age. There is evidence that |
| eastern half of Honshu has a temperate | | | | the Jomon people cultivated some plants but |
| climate and deciduous forests. Also | | | | dependence on cultivated plants did not begin |
| characterized by a temperate climate is | | | | until the Yayoi period. This period also |
| western Honshu and Shikoku but the forests in | | | | sees the use of bronze and iron.As far as the |
| these regions are broadleaf evergreens | | | | cultural sequence stands for Hokkaido it is |
| (palms) and deciduous trees. Kyushu and | | | | slightly different from the rest of Japan. |
| Okinawa enjoy a sub-tropical climate and the | | | | For Hokkaido the use of pottery began later |
| forests are of broadleaf evergreens and | | | | and agriculture does not begin until the |
| oceanic vegetation.Japan sees an abundance of | | | | Satsumon period.Again the dates about to be |
| rain especially in the summer months. | | | | presented for the cultural sequence for |
| Anywhere between 1000 millimeters to 3000 | | | | Hokkaido are approximate. The Jomon period |
| millimeters of rain falls in Japan depending | | | | 8000BC-300BC (the characteristics of this age |
| on the location.Japanese archaeologists (like | | | | being the use of cord marked pottery and a |
| archaeologists elsewhere) have divided the | | | | hunting and gathering lifestyle), The |
| prehistory of the archipelago into a variety | | | | Epi-Jomon period 300BC- 3rd/7th century AD |
| of differing periods. These can be compared | | | | (characterized by the continuation of a |
| with the Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age | | | | hunting gathering lifestyle and a pottery |
| seen in the rest of the old world. The | | | | tradition akin to the final Jomon pottery |
| Japanese have given each period its own name | | | | styles), the Satsumon/Okhotsk age 3rd/7th |
| that reflects its own unique Japanese | | | | century AD-13th century AD (characterized by |
| character.The dates about to be given are | | | | the use of iron and bronze and also some |
| approximate dates and different scholars have | | | | plant cultivation) and lastly the Ainu period |
| different criteria for when a particular age | | | | 13th century AD-Present ( this has a mixed |
| ended and a new one began. The Palaeolithic | | | | economy based on hunting and gathering, sea |
| period is 50,000BC-13, 000BC (Use of | | | | mammal hunting and plant cultivation).It |
| micro-blade stone tools was characteristic of | | | | should be taken note that the Ainu are still |
| this period), The Jomon period 13,000BC-300BC | | | | resident in Hokkaido and the cultural groups |
| (the characteristics of this age were pottery | | | | preceding them are known only through |
| production and a hunting and gathering | | | | archaeological record. |
| lifestyle), the Yayoi period 300BC-AD300 | | | | |