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