(5) Precisely reproduced buildings
We entered many buildings before coming to the main shrine. The more I look at the building, the more I realize how much money went into creating this historical park. Nearly every building material I see has marks left on it by carpentry tools such as chisels. In order to bring out the reality, even the unevenness of the surface of the wood is reproduced. It's a lot of work just to prepare the wood, it's a very time-consuming work.
In addition, the construction cost of preparing a large amount of thatch, which is used for thatched roofs in villages, is extremely high due to the low demand. I remember that it cost about 20 million yen to replace the thatched roof of an old house built in the Edo period that I was involved with before. It was the size of a normal private house, and it took about that much cost. I think the Japanese government and Saga Prefecture take Yoshinogari Ruins very seriously.
(6) Tombs of successive kings, North Burial Ground (Kita Funkyubo)
When you exit the back door of the north inner enclosure where the main shrine is located, you will see something that looks like a square burial mound several hundred meters ahead. The park map only says "North Burial Mound".
In Osaka, although the times are different, I see many burial mounds in the city and they are normally just small mounds to look at. I didn't expect much when I saw the sign.
Wait, I can go inside?
OMG, I can go inside this ancient tomb! This is so exciting. There are not many burial mounds in Japan that we can enter. Even in the Kinki region, I have only been to the inside of Ishibutai Kofun in Nara. I enter the tomb with my heart pounding.
Approximately 2,100 years old, this large tomb holds the burials of 14 kings and other dignitaries. 2m long potteries are used as coffins. Pottery as a coffin... I'm surprised at the technology to make such large potteries. I used to be a pottery artist and I know how hard it is.
Seems like they made two pieces and connected them together. Was there a reason why they wanted to leave the dead person as is instead of cremating?
This is a model that reproduces the inside of the coffin. Is this a time capsule! ? it might be? I can imagine why they buried him as he was instead of cremating him. He wears beautiful clothes, precious glass tube beads jewelry, and a bronze sword. Yes, this person is ready to live in the next world.
Come to think of it, the direction in which the supreme priest was facing when she was praying to hear the revelation of the ancestors in the main shrine is where we are now. Of course it is! When I see the coffin in front of me, I suddenly feel a sense of reality that this was actually happening here.
This large unglazed earthenware coffin is called a Kamekan (jar coffin). In Japan, it is found only in Kitakyushu, such as Saga and Fukuoka. I've never heard of something like this existing before. This ruin is so amazing.
The remaining two areas where the Yayoi period is reproduced are "Kura to Ichi (Storehouses and Market)" and "Minami no Mura (South Village)". The Yoshinogari Historical Park is huge and there are several areas that aren't really related to ruins, so we'll skip that altogether.
Raised storehouses store food, armor, weapons, and items used for trade. There are many weapons. It's a little scary to see the tools of war, no matter what era they are from.
The southern village is lined with dwellings thought to have been lived by farmers. I was able to see a high-grade residential area when I first came, so I'll just take a quick look around here. Along the way, visitors can experience farming and make magatama (stone jewel carving) at the Yayoi Kurashikan (Yayoi Life Museum). Looks like fun but only kids are having the experience here, so I skip.
I came back to the main entrance of the history park. We will have a limited lunch menu at the restaurant I mentioned at the beginning. You can eat rice balls made with ancient red rice, and mudskippers. I want to go see Mutsugoro (mudskippers) in the Ariake Sea someday.
It looked black and burnt, but it didn't taste burnt at all. It tastes like normal grilled fish. The clam soup has a very rich broth and is delicious. Yoshinogari does not face the sea, but did the Yayoi people here eat clams? Osaka is close to the sea, so there are shell mounds everywhere.
Since my stomach is full, and very satisfied with the ruins, I will drive to Nagasaki next.
Yoshinogari Historical Park Photo Gallery 3
Please visit my glass jewelry shop from the link below.
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