Sea Level

Waht I have learned about it are as follows:

• During the Old Stone Age, global climate was much colder than today and a lot of sea water was kept on land as ice or snow
• Sea level was much lower than today and large-sized animals including elephants habitated present Setonaikai Sea.

Natural environment in the Paleolithic seem not to have been directly related to Iwase-senzuka. However, I think I need to remember that the first people from the continent came to the proto-Japanese Islands in the period.

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Subperiodsof the Jomon Period

I have learned the Jomon Period is generally divided into the next six periods.

• the incipient Jomon Period: 16,500 to 11,500 years ago
• the initial Jomon Period: 11,500 to 7,000 years ago
• the early Jomon Period: 7,000 to 5,500 years ago
• the middle Jomon Period: 5,500 to 4,400 years ago
• the late Jomon Period: 4,400 to 3,200 years ago
• the final Jomon Period: 3,200 to 2,300 years ago

◇ The Jomon Period in Japan is correspond to the New Stone Age in the world.

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Some fundamental understanding of mine about the Jomon Period

• When the global climate drastically began to change into warmer one around 11,700 years ago, natural environment around the Japanese Islands also turned into temperate one. That was the beginning of the Holocene epoch.
  • Sea level rose and the Japanese Islands were perfectly detached from the continent.
  • Large-sized animals became extinct and middle-sized animals like sika deer and wild bores thrived.
• Jomon people were hunter-gatherers.
  • They hunted middle-sized and small-sized animals in deciduous broad-leaved forests and evergreen broad-leaved forests by using bow and arrows, and others.
  • They gathered fish including shellfish and edible wild plants.
  • They were able to cook food with rudimentary earthenware called "Jomon pottery."
  • It is said that they did not make wars.
• The Jomon Period lasted for as long as 9,000 years.
  • In other words, the period continued for 90 centuries.
  • Environmental conditions during the Jomon period were not always the same and rather cold stages sometimes elapsed.
  • Sea level kept on rising until around 7,000 years ago and the highest one was a few meters higher than the present one. As a result, flatlands were formed at the mouths of rivers.
  • Climate change including volcanic activity directly affected Jomon people's life. They must have been in awe of nature.

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The beginning of the Yayoi Period

Around 2,500 years ago, wet rice cultivation was introduced into the northern part of Kyushu from the Korean Peninsula. That was the beginning of the Yayoi Period in Japan.

Some people who were familiar with the new agriculture might have migrated from the continent. Jomon people must have been completely surprised to see a large amount of nutritious grain and some of them might have decided to acquire skill in the novel farming.

After the pioneering experiments in Northern Kyushu, wet rice cultivation gradually spread out over Western Japan by the 4th century BCE and then diffused to Eastern Japan. Therefore, the commencing time of the Yayoi Period was different fome region to region.

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Nutritional value of rice grains and wheat flour

• 100 grams of brown rice contains 353 kcal and 6.8 g protein.
• 100 grams of polished rice contains 358 kcal and 6.1 g protein.
• 100 grams of cooked polished-rice contains 168 kcal and 2.5 g protein.
• 100 grams of wheat flower (low-gluten flour) contains 367 kcal and 8.3 g protein.
• 100 grams of bread roll contains 265 kcal and 8.5 g protein.

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Outlines of the Yayoi Period

Some of my basic knowledge about the Yayoi Period is as follows.

• As nutritious rice supported larger population than before and wet rice cultivation required group work, Yayoi people resided in villages located by paddy fields.
• Pottery used in the Yayoi Period is called "Yayoi pottery."
• Their society in the agricultural communities was effectively organized and the chiefs became in charge of farm production command, rites to pray for bountiful harvest and security against outside enemies.
• In the 2nd half of the Yayoi Period, stone tools were no longer produced. It must have been because iron farm implements greatly improved the agricultural output.
• Villages developed into king-led provinces called kuni(クニ) in Japanese.
• The king-led provinces sometimes went to wars against each other. They might have fought for rice stock in other king-led provinces, especially when unseasonal weather caused food shortages.
• Countries in the northern part of Kyushu seem to have monopolized iron import. That is why king-led provinces in other regions entered into an alliance.
• In the end, the union evolved into one single large king-led province which had tributary relationship with China.

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Countries in the Japanese Islands during the Yayoi Period

I have learned about them as follows.

• An official history book of the Han dynasty (202 BCE to 222 CE) says the next things.
  • Around the 1st C. BCE, Wa society consisted of a little more than 100 united villages which the Han dynasty regarded as king-led provinces.
  • Among them, some king-led provinces periodically paid tribute to Lelang Commandery in the Korean Peninsula.

Those king-led provinces are said to have been in the northern part of Kyushu. What I suppose by utilizing this limited information are ass follows.

• The sea route between Kyushu and the Korean Peninsula must have been consistently used in the 1st century BCE.
• The direct distance is around 200 kilometers. The required time must have been three days via Iki Island and Tushima Island. With a favorable wind, it might have been shorter.
• Semi-structural vessels must have been an aid to their navigation.
• As long as there is nothing about conflicts, they must have had been to the Korean Peninsula.
• It was around 400 years later after the introduction of wet rice cultivation. Powerful chiefs (kings) must have dominated their own provinces. Their society might have been stable, for the king-led provinces intended to have international relationships.
• It seems to be appropriate for me to make a rush judgement about the purpose of their bringing a tribute to the Han dynasty.

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Tributes to the Later Han Daynasty

Official History Records of the Later Han Dynasty says as follows.

• In 57, emissaries from a king-led province called Na in Wa proceeded to Luoyang(洛陽) and received a ribboned seal from Emperor Guangwu(光武帝).
• In 107, Shosui, a king in Wa, offered 160 slaves (生口) to the Early Han dynasty.

Na was a small king-led province located around present Fukuoka City. A gold seal identified as what Emperor Guangwu of Han bestowed was found at Shika-no-shima Island in the city.

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Emissaries from Wa to Chinese dynasties in the Yayoi Period

The list of Wa's emissaries to Chinese dynasties in the Yayoi Period is as follows.

• In 57, the king of Na in Wa sent emissaries to the Later Han dynasty and Emperor Guangwu(光武帝) bestowed a ribboned seal.
• In 107, Kings in Wa including Suisho dispatched emissaries to the Later Han dynasty.
• In 238, Wei began to dominate Daifang Commandery.
• In 239, Queen Himiko of Wa dispatched emissaries to both Daifang Commandery and the capital of Wei. Emperor Ming of Wei conferred the title of the ruler of Wa and bestowed the Gold Seal with Purple Ribbon.
• In 243, Himiko bestowed gifts the king of Wei.
• In 245, Emperor of Cao Wei bestowed gifts to emissaries from Wa.
• In 266, Queen Toyo (or Iyo) of Wa dispatched emissaries to the Jin dynasty. After this, diplomatic relationship between Wa and China did not existed for 147 years.

Kings of Wa in the Yayoi Period, who were trying to end domestic strife, might have aimed to strengthen their positions by securing backing from Chinese dynasties.

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'Account of the Wa' in "The History of the Wei Dynasty"(『魏志倭人伝』)

It is an official history book including articles which is well-known for a description Yamatai-koku Kingdom led by a queen named Himiko. Here I would like to focus on explanation as to the domestic situation of Wa (ancient Japan). The gist is as follows

• Kings originally reigned Yamatai Kingdom for 70 or 80 years and after that, conflicts kept on raging in the whole country for a long time.
• The state of disorder finally ended when a woman named Himiko became the queen.
• Daifang Commandery dispatched an envoy when Yamatai Kingdom fought against another country called Kuna-koku(狗奴国) in the Japanese Islands.
• After Queen Himiko died, though a man became the next king, the whole country did not obey him. People killed each other and more than 1,000 died.
• When a 13-year-old girl called Ito became the next queen, the whole nation became at peach.

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