Visit date(s): September 29, 30, October 1, 2024

Nearby sites on trip: We were in Shiretoko several days earlier.

Overnight locations: Eniwa, Rusutsu, Hakodate 

Location(s):  Some locations were accessible but unstaffed when we visited, so we did not visit all of the associated museums.

• Kiusu Earthwork Burial Circles (visited small site center, Chitose City Buried Cultural Properties Center, a few kilometres away, is closed most Sundays)
• Kitakogane (Kitakogane Site Information Center closed at 17:00)         (photo of shell mound)
• Takasago Burial and Irie (visited the excellent Irie Takasago Museum between the sites)
• Ofune (visited small site center)
• Kakinoshima (Hakodate Jomon Culture Center closed at 17:00)

Travel method(s):  car, foot

Travel duration:  We visited the sites as we drove around Hokkaido, staying in different places as we moved around the island.

Visit duration: 1-2 hours per site

OUV:  Even visiting only the Hokkaido sites gives an opportunity to see the development of sedentary communities over a span of 5000 years, in coastal and hilltop locations.  Each settlement location is close to the coast, so that the bones of many sea dwelling animals were found, while being inland and high enough to offer some protection from flooding, built with grave and midden space nearby. Later sites had ritual and burial areas isolated from residences.  There are many more sites in the region that were not included in the designation, so it is also possible to see Jomon artefacts in other locations (for example, the Hakodate City Museum of Northern Peoples). It is a fascinating look into prehistory and well worth a visit.

Best of: We really enjoyed the small site centres and museums. We were encouraged to look at the exhibits, artifacts and activity stations (really for school children) that showed how some pottery and tools were made and decorated.  At the Irie Takasago Museum, the volunteer went to the trouble of using her phone to translate that yes, we really should touch some of the exhibits!

Worst of: The sites are quite far apart, so seeing several will take time, just to move between them.