The Tokyo National Museum’s ‘Before the Jomon Era’ marks the 80th anniversary of one of the most significant discoveries in Japanese archaeology: the identification of the Japanese Paleolithic period. Held from June 16 to August 23, the exhibition revisits the groundbreaking moment when independent archaeologist Tadahiro Aizawa uncovered stone tools at the Iwajuku site in Gunma prefecture, fundamentally transforming understanding of Japan’s earliest human history.
Before the discovery at Iwajuku in 1946, it was widely believed that Japanese history began with the Jomon period (11,000–500 BCE). Excavations conducted in 1949 and 1950, however, revealed stone tools embedded within Pleistocene volcanic ash layers, proving that human communities had inhabited the archipelago tens of thousands of years before the appearance of pottery. This discovery established the existence of a Japanese Paleolithic culture and opened a new chapter in archaeological research.
The exhibition centres on Aizawa’s original finds, including the celebrated obsidian spear point that first led him to suspect the presence of Paleolithic settlements. Visitors will also encounter important artifacts excavated from Iwajuku, many designated as significant cultural properties, alongside photographs and documents tracing the site’s historic investigation.
Broadening its scope beyond Japan, the exhibition presents remarkable Paleolithic tools from Europe and Asia, placing Japanese discoveries within a global context. Handaxes from France, cleavers from India, and finely crafted microblades reveal the ingenuity of early human societies across continents. Reconstructed hunting implements and immersive dioramas recreating the prehistoric landscape of Iwajuku further bring this distant world to life.
Combining archaeology, history and scientific reconstruction, ‘Before the Jomon Era’ offers a fascinating exploration of humanity’s earliest presence in Japan and celebrates a discovery that reshaped the nation’s understanding of its ancient past.
