Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan Celebrate Three Years as World Cultural Heritage with Interactive Event in Sapporo

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:44 JST, August 21, 2024

SAPPORO — Three years after the Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan were registered as a World Cultural Heritage site, a commemorative event was held on July 27 at a commercial facility in Chuo Ward, Sapporo. Attendees enjoyed quizzes and other activities.

The event was hosted by the Hokkaido prefectural government in order to raise awareness of the Jomon archaeological sites located in the prefecture. Families with children worked together to assemble pit dwellings used during the Jomon period. There were also quizzes testing knowledge about the Jomon period, such as “What animals were partners in the lives of the Jomon people?” with participants competing for points.

A 76-year-old Sapporo resident at the event said, “I learned a lot of new things for the first time. I want to visit the actual sites.”

To mark the third anniversary, Hokkaido Gov. Naomichi Suzuki released a statement expressing his hope of creating a virtuous cycle of preservation and utilization of the Jomon World Heritage sites through various initiatives to promote their appeal, contributing to the vibrancy of the region.