Paul de Vries 
Progression of Japanese from "Ancient DNA: The Journey of the Japanese People," at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Ueno. (Courtesy of the museum)
Situated within Ueno Park, the National Museum of Nature and Science is currently holding a special exhibition titled Ancient DNA: the Journey of the Japanese People. The exhibition provides an informative overview of Japanese prehistory and draws on cutting-edge DNA technology to speculate on the origin of the first inhabitants of Japan.
Japanese prehistory is dominated by the Jomon period, which commenced around 16,000 BCE. It was supplanted by the Yayoi period, during which hunter-gathering gave way to paddy rice farming.
Typically, the Yayoi period is dated from 330 BCE to 300 AD, although evidence exists of paddy rice farming considerably earlier. The exhibition notes that as "paddy rice farming began in northern Kyushu 2,900 years ago…. [T]here is much debate as to exactly when the Jomon period ended" and the Yayoi period commenced.
The written history of Japan was initiated with the Kofun period (300 AD to 538 AD). It was a time of cultural imports from China and the Korean peninsula. The Kofun period is named after the keyhole-shaped burial mounds that were characteristic of that era.
Advent of DNA Analysis
Studies of prehistory have traditionally been carried out by examining the fossil record and archeological artifacts. In recent decades, DNA analysis has been added to the arsenal of archeology. DNA analysis began in the 1980s, and the technology continues to develop at a rapid pace. Formerly, high-quality specimens were needed for DNA to be extracted. With every passing year, however, the range of samples from which DNA can be obtained continues to grow.
The Japanese people of Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku are typically referred to as the Yamato. Hokkaido and Okinawa were incorporated into the Japanese nation in 1869 and 1879, respectively. The Ryukyu people of Okinawa and the Ainu of Hokkaido thereby joined the Yamato as distinct ethnic groups of Japan.
These lines, the Yamato, Ryukyu, and Ainu, can all trace a genetic link to the Jomon. It is with the Jomon, however, at which definitive knowledge of the DNA chain presently ends. The cradle of humankind is thought to be central Africa. How did humankind first reach Japan? This is a question that the exhibition seeks to answer.
The First Japanese
A skeleton from the Shiraho Saonetabaru Cave Ruins on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, is the highlight of the exhibition. DNA analysis of the largely intact 27,000-year-old skeleton was successfully conducted by a collaboration of the National Museum of Nature and Science and Nobel Prize-winning Swedish scientist, Svante Pääbo. A DNA link to the Jomon people was established.
"The Jomon are composed of at least two ancestral components," suggests Pääbo, "one similar to the Shiraho individual and one similar to ancient people in Northeast Asia." They are likely "a combination of two ancestral groups," he concludes, "that probably came to Japan independent of each other."
Jomon Communities and Lifestyles
The exhibition then examines the lifestyles and societal arrangements of the Jomon people through an examination of artifacts found at archeological sites. It also highlights those particular to the Ainu and Ryukyu people. Through DNA analysis of multiple skeletons found together at various sites, it speculates on family and societal relationships and structures.
An examination of Jomon skeletons found throughout Japan suggests that the Jomon people had distinctive features such as round faces and prominent jaws. They exhibited deeply chiseled features that included high noses. An average adult male was about 158 centimeters tall, the average female 146. The Jomon had well-developed muscles and a generally robust build. Somewhat surprisingly, mountain inhabitants were more delicate than those who lived on the coast.
Wishing for Rebirth
The most substantial and impressive of the Jomon artifacts on display are ceramic pots in which the bones of babies had been placed. This ritual, it is believed, was carried out so that the baby could be reborn. It was not only humans for whom the ritual was conducted, however. The skeletal remains of boars and deer have also been found within pottery, suggesting a desire for animal populations to multiply.
The DNA Journey of Dogs and Domestic Cats
A section of the exhibition that will likely prove popular is the journey of dogs and domestic cats into Japan. Recent DNA evidence suggests that dogs likely arrived in the Japanese archipelago around 10,000 years ago, during the Jomon period. From the ancient past until the present day, therefore, dogs have been a part of Japanese society, adapting to the needs of each era.
The Journey Goes On
Writing did not evolve within Japan. It was imported from China. This has resulted in a clear divide between the prehistory of Japan and its period of written history. From the Kofun period onwards, the history of Japan is meticulously documented, whereas the study of the Yayoi and Jomon periods relies on the patience and skill of archeologists.
Ancient DNA: the Journey of the Japanese People is fittingly being held at The National Museum of Nature and Science, an educational hub for Japanese youth. One hopes and suspects it will inspire the next generation to continue with the task of exploring the lives and journey of ancient Japanese people.
About the Exhibition:
Name: Ancient DNA: The Journey of the Japanese People
Where: Ueno Koen, National Museum of Nature and Science
When: On through June 15
Access: The museum is located in Ueno Park, right next to the major JR Ueno Station, with access through numerous rail and subway lines. Specifics are available online.
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Author: Paul de Vries
