2F North Floor Map
Japanese People and Nature
Around 40,000 years ago, our ancestors encountered a land rich in forests and oceans at the eastern edge of Asia, and they began to settle in the Japanese Islands. Thereafter, various other groups of people brought their distinctive cultures to the islands. These peoples came together while still maintaining particular aspects of their culture. Our ancestors skillfully interacted with the natural environment of the Japanese Islands through the invention of pottery, the cultivation of plants and other techniques.
1.The Voyage of the Japanese People
The Historical Voyage of the Japanese People

2.The Beginnings of Human History in the Japanese Islands
The Voyage of the Japanese People

3.Hunter-gatherers in the Archipelago
Reading the Bones: What Sort of People were the Jomon?
Jomon Lifestyles
4.Yayoi People from the Continent
Reading the Bones: What Sort of People were the Yayoi?
Yayoi Lifestyles

5.The Formation of the Modern Japanese
Changes in Regional Populations
The Ryukyuans, the Mainland Japanese and the Ainu
6.The Lifestyles and Health of Our Ancestors as seen from Bones
Stories from Bones
Recent Ancestors