{"id":40,"date":"2015-04-10T15:51:03","date_gmt":"2015-04-10T06:51:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.akarenga-h.jp\/en\/?page_id=40"},"modified":"2015-05-20T13:52:19","modified_gmt":"2015-05-20T04:52:19","slug":"j-03","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.akarenga-h.jp\/en\/hokkaido\/jomon\/j-03\/","title":{"rendered":"The Prayers and Hearts of the Jomon People"},"content":{"rendered":"

We are surprised by the great variety, technical skills involved and beauty of artifacts of the Jomon culture. From a modern point of view, some artifacts are very lovely and humorous. How did the Jomon people use these artifacts? How did they feel when making the clay figurines and the clay tablets? The Jomon people\u2019s spiritual world grew through many generations as they lived in coexistence with nature. Numerous artifacts quietly tell us this history.<\/p>\n

With prayer<\/h2>\n

\"Clay

Clay figurines unearthed at the Taisho 8 Site in Obihiro (Obihiro Centennial City Museum Archaeological Operations Center collection)<\/p><\/div>Even now, we have a \u201cculture\u201d of believing that gods of various kinds, such as big trees in the woods, mountains, the sea and other natural phenomena, both bring blessings and do bad things. There is not only one great god, but many gods. It may be the best to say that many spirits exist.<\/p>\n

This kind of idea has existed since the Jomon period as can be seen in the existence of places where offerings were made to gods, such as graves, shell middens and earthwork mounds. And this idea of the relationship between nature and human beings has been passed on until now.<\/p>\n

\"National

National treasure, the Hollow Clay Figurine (Chuku-Dogu) unearthed at the Chobonaino Site in Hakodate (Hakodate Jomon Culture Center collection)<\/p><\/div>\n

Clay figurines are one of the symbols that indicate the spirituality of the Jomon people.
\nWhy did they make clay figurines?<\/p>\n

Although there are various views on the reason, such as goddesses, spirits, magic, symbols of death and regeneration and substitutes for sickness, it is yet unsure. However, it is sure that the clay figurines expressed the spirits of prayers of the Jomon people who always faced natural phenomena, including birth, death and things in life worth living for. The patterns designed on pottery and clay figurines are also an expression of their prayers.
\nClay figurines discovered in Hokkaido have distinctive characteristics depending on the period when they were made.<\/p>\n

Clay figurines made in the beginning and previous terms of the Jomon period are small and have no eyes, noses or mouths like those found at the Taisho 8 Site. In the middle Jomon period, many flat clay figurines were created. In the late Jomon period, large clay figurines that were hollow inside were made, such as a hollow clay figurine a.k.a. Kakku (national treasure) found at the Chobonaino Site in Hakodate. At the end of the Jomon period, clay figurines unearthed at the Wanishi Site in Muroran show evidence that clay figurines were influenced by goggle-eyed figurines found in the Tohoku region.
\nA total of 17 clay tablets with footprints, which are considered to be burial goods, have been excavated from graves of approximately 7,000 years ago at the Kakinoshima Site in Hakodate. The clay tablets were made by impressing children\u2019s feet on clay tablets, and many of these tablets were unearthed at this site. We now still make footprints to pray for children\u2019s growth, and these clay tablets show us the care people took for their children in those days.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\"Clay

Clay tablets with footprints excavated at the Kakinoshima Site in Hakodate (Hakodate Jomon Culture Center collection)<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Flat

Flat clay figurine unearthed at the Hatsutaushi 20 Site in Nemuro (Nemuro City Museum of History and Nature collection)<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n
More than 30 artifacts excavated from sites have been gathered here.<\/div>\n

Obihiro Centennial City Museum Archaeological Operations Center<\/h4>\n

This is the annex of the Obihiro Centennial City Museum established to keep, display and utilize the pottery and stone tools unearthed during excavations at sites in Obihiro. Artifacts unearthed at the Taisho Sites are also collected and displayed here with the exception of some artifacts. Many unique exhibitions, such as the \u201ctrend of arrowheads\u201d and the \u201ctoolbox of the Jomon people,\u201d have been organized in the museum, and the materials with accompanying explanations can be observed.<\/p>\n