This late-Jomon period (approximately 3000-4000 years ago) earthenware article was excavated from the Toi Shell Mound, located within the municipality of Hakodate along the Tsugaru Strait. It is thought to resemble a boat.

During the area of large-scale settlements at Sannai-Maruyama in Aomori Prefecture (approximately 4000-5500 years ago), people also worked prosperously across the Tsugaru Strait in Hokkaido, providing evidence of traffic across the strait. Numerous excavated artifacts demonstrate commonalities between the regions, such as styles of cylindrical earthenware vessels, or articles made of the same quality of jade.

It is possible that the people on both sides of the strait were related through common aspects such as languages, spiritual beliefs, and marital customs.

Reading the seasons, tides, and weather, the Jomon people boldly ventured back and forth across the Tsugaru Strait. But what manner of boats did they use?

Regrettably, very few wooden relics of this era remain, and no actual boats have been excavated. This earthenware article is a major clue towards answering this question.

Words Masaharu Taniguchi
Translation by Xene Inc.