Settlement![]() What food do you think a Japanese person eats daily? Most likely the first thing that came to mind is rice, am I correct. I also stated rice, however, Japan is over fifty percent forest, which does not match where Rice originates in tropical lowlands. According to Katsuro Hara the choice of rice as a main food source may have caused “The tardiness of the progress of civilization in Japanese history …”. (Pg 42) Climate, geography, and wild life in Japan vary over the six thousand eight hundred and fifty-two islands; however, the majority of the population lives on four islands. Early settlers encountered many obstacles from the environment of Japan in becoming a civilization.
There are two theories of thought about the first settlers of Japan one coming from the North from the Asiatic Continent and the other from the south tropical region. Both sources of migration seem reasonable due to the country North South axis. Across the land, temperatures vary containing all four seasons with earthquakes, typhoons, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. Unlike the people of the Fertile Crescent who lived in a warm dry climate which does not vary greatly because of their placement on an East West axis. Japan’s placement on a North South Axis hindered the early settlers being able to stay in one area for a long period. Early settlers in Japan relied on fishing and gathering of fruits and nuts as their primary food source. Domestication of animals was not possible though hunting of deer, wild boars, elks, and elephants where possible. Jared Diamond shreds light on the fact that “People who remained hunter/gatherers couldn’t produce anywhere near as much food as farmers, and also couldn’t produce much food that could be stored”. (Diamond, 2014) As a result Japan's early settlers where delayed in harvest cultivation until the Jomon Culture (ca. 10,500–ca. 300 B.C.) began to settle and harvest rice after their Asiatic contemporaries where able to do so around 7500BC. Hara demonstrated Southern Japan soil and warm climate worked well for rice cultivation, however, typhoons could wipe out crops and early frost in the North resulted in repeated famines. For the disadvantage of the ability to domesticate animals and climate changes the proximity of the ocean for fishing enable the people to create tools from stone for fishing and they also created pottery. Being able to harvest and store food allowed civilizations the time to make inventions to improve their quality of life. Being able to use the natural resources aided in the formation of civilizations. Early settlers look to their natural resources, which is shown in Japan early settlers in first using animals skins to make mobile homes as hunters and gatherers then moving to wooden home because of their vast forest landscape. No remains of the settlers building survived like the Egyptians because no stone, brick, or other durable material was ever used in the construction of their buildings. The ability to use stone to make fishing tools allowed them to leave behind a legacy of pottery art due to more leisure time. Being able to not worry daily about a food source allowed early settlers to become inventers and artist that allow modern ancestors blueprints to building large societies. Many question remain about the first settlers in Japan and their origins. Written characters are minimal on pottery and climatic events leave little evidence of early settlers. Still with all the difficulties these individuals faced their ancestors have survived and became civilized just at a slower pace than others living in land that was more futile. References Diamond, J. (n.d.). Episode One: Out of Eden - Transcripts. Retrieved September 17, 2014. Hara, K. (1920). An introduction to the history of Japan,. New York: G.P. Putnams' Sons. |
Useful Siteshttp://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/history/
Easy to follow timeline of major events and cultural milestones of Japan. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/jomo/hd_jomo.htm More information of Jomon Pottery and culture. |
Japan Timeline on Dipity.