After the Jomon period comes the Yayoi period. This is a basic fact of Japanese history that everyone once learned in social studies. But did you know that the Yayoi period never actually existed in Hokkaido? The evidence of Hokkaido's unique historical path is carved into the Fugoppe Cave in Yoichi Town. What exactly does this mean?

On Japan's main island of Honshu, the introduction of rice cultivation before the common era led to a transition from the Jomon to the Yayoi period. However, Hokkaido's climate was unsuitable for rice paddies. The people living in Hokkaido naturally continued the Jomon lifestyle, relying on hunting and fishing.

This led to the birth of a unique path known as the Post-Jomon culture. In addition to pottery and stone tools, many animal and fish bones, shellfish, and more have been found in Fugoppe Cave. There are also carvings on the rock walls depicting people in boats. This is the ultimate proof that food was abundant at the time and that the people engaged in hunting and fishing.

Fugoppe Cave, which conveys the life of the Post-Jomon culture to the present day, was discovered in 1950. What was found were pottery shards, collected by a junior high school student from Sapporo who was visiting the area for a swim.

Later, in 1951 and 1953, full-scale academic research was conducted by assistant professors from Hokkaido University, leading to the discovery of one of Japan's largest cave sites with carvings. The interior of Fugoppe Cave, designated a National Historic Site in 1953, is now open to anyone for an admission fee.
To preserve the precious ruins, the cave is open to the public under strict management. The rock walls are sensitive to strong light, so the interior lighting is kept quite dim. Therefore, before entering the cave, it is recommended to first check the full-scale model of the rock wall carvings at the entrance to get an idea of their locations.
As your eyes gradually adjust, you can see various carvings through the glass. The aforementioned carving of people in a boat is said to be similar to ones found in North Asia.
It is known that the Post-Jomon culture lasted longer than the Yayoi period on Honshu. Many pieces of Late Hokkaido-style thin-walled Jomon pottery, used from around the 1st to the 5th century, have been excavated from Fugoppe Cave, once again showing that Hokkaido forged its own unique culture.
It is also said that Fugoppe Cave was not a dwelling but a place where ritualistic ceremonies were held. This mystical cave conveys the image of ancient Hokkaido to the modern world.

There are several other interesting carvings to see, so please take a moment to ponder the immense flow of time.


▼For more details, please see the Domingo spot page
Fugoppe Cave


※Currently, the facility is temporarily closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Please check the official website of Yoichi Town for details.

＜Fugoppe Cave＞
Address: 87 Sakaemachi, Yoichi-gun, Yoichi-cho, Hokkaido
Phone: 0135-22-6170
Closed: Every Monday (If Monday is a public holiday, open on Monday and closed the following day)
Winter Closure: Mid-December to early April
Hours: 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Admission: Adults 300 yen, Elementary/Junior high school students 100 yen
Yoichi Town Official Website: https://www.town.yoichi.hokkaido.jp/machi/syoukai/fugoppe.html

＜Interview Cooperation＞
Yoichi Town Board of Education, Social Education Division, Yoichi Fisheries Museum
Address: 21 Irifunecho, Yoichi-gun, Yoichi-cho, Hokkaido
Phone: 0135-22-6187 (Direct)