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Its chief priest and most sacred priestess have all been members of the imperial family or their descendantsĪccording to the Nihon Shoki, Japan’s historical chronicles, the shrine was founded in Mie Prefecture in 4 BC by the daughter of Japan’s 10th emperor. Ise Grand Shrine, also known as Ise Jingu, is Japan’s most important Shinto Shrine, and is dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu, the progenitor of the Japanese imperial dynasty. If you want to learn more, visit the Sakai Municipal Museum nearby which exhibits some of the discovered items.
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Given that this site is still a mausoleum, a full in-depth excavation has not gone underway. If you’re walking at a casual pace, be prepared to put aside a little time, because it takes around an hour to make a full rotation around the grounds.ĭuring excavation, archaeologists have found a number of fascinating artifacts including armor, swords, glass jars and glass dishes all assumed to be possessions belonging to Emperor Nintoku. One of the three largest tombs in the entire world, this key-hole shaped, three moat surrounded tomb is not freely open to the public, however you can explore the area around the outside. If there could only be one piece of archaeological discovery that embodies this period of time in Japan, it would be this site, the striking Tomb of Emperor Nintoku in Sakai City, Osaka. The park is quartered into four distinct zones the Entrance Zone, home to visitor information, the Ancient Forest Zone, home to a park and play area ideal for children, the Moat Encircled Zone, which is where the majority of the village sits, and the Ancient Field Zone where guests can take part in a number of leisure activities, like miniature golf.įollowing the Yayoi period came the Kofun era (about 250-500 CE), named for the enormous burial mounds that date from this time.
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The ruins were first opened to the public in 1989 and since have become a fascinating wonderland for history buffs and those casual observers just looking to get a taste of the sometimes incomprehensible depth of Japanese cultural history. Spread over approximately 40 hectares (100 acres), the sheer size of the ancient Japanese site has made it one of today’s most important archaeological discoveries. The Yayoi period, from 300 BCE to 300 CE, is known as the country’s iron age, a time of evolution from the Jomon era to the beginnings of modern Japanese culture. Located on and around the rolling hills of Kanzaki City in the north eastern side of Saga Prefecture sits the Yoshinogari Remains, a Yayoi period settlement that’s still in the midst of being unearthed and studied. While you’re in Hokkaido, check out our guides to the town of Otaru, and the prefectural capital of Sapporo! The Ainu Living Memorial Hall is a full scale model of a traditional Ainu family dwelling, where one can learn more about this assimilation process and how the Ainu preserved their traditions. Their culture was nearly eradicated in the turn of the 20th century under the Meiji government mandates to force assimilation and the adoption of Western industrial agriculture.
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Though the Ainu are the original inhabitants of Hokkaido, they were marginalized under Japanese expansion. The kotan ("village" or "settlement" in the Ainu language) is the largest in Hokkaido and is home to 120 people who preserve their native traditions by sharing it with domestic and international visitors. While not strictly an ancient site, Akanko Ainu Kotan is a cultural facility in Hokkaido Prefecture on the shores of Lake Akan where one can experience the history and culture of Japan’s indigenous people, the Ainu.