Prehistoric period during which the people of Japan followed a huntng, gathering and fishing way of life, so called because pottery of this period is decorated with 'jōmon' cord-marking. It was preceded by the Paleolithic ('Kyū-sekki') period, from which it is distinguished by the presence of pottery, and was followed by the Yayoi period, the distinguishing characteristics of which are the use of metals and wet-rice cultivation.
The Incipient Jōmon period ('Jōmon sousouki', ca.13,000 B.C.-ca.9,000 B.C) is a transitional period, marked by the combining of the pottery-marking with late paleolithic stone-working techniques. The world's oldest known pottery dates from between 13,780±170 yr B.P. and 12,680±140 yr B.P. and was excavated forom Odai-Yamamoto site in Aomori Prefecture, Tōhoku region.
The major innovation of Initial Jomon period ('Jōmon souki', ca.9,000 B.C.-ca.5,000 B.C) was the utilization of marine and coastal resources leading to the accumulation of the first shell mounds. At this time the Jōmon cultural assemblage - including basic stone tools, pit houses, clay figurines ('Dogū'), and cord-marked pottery vessels - was also established. The evidence of shell middens indicates that the economy was well rounded: not only were fish and shellfish collected, but deer ,hare and wild pigs were hunted and wild seeds and plant foods gathered. From this time onward, Jōmon culture was divided into two spheres, roughly corresponding to the deciduos forests of the eastern Japan and broadleaf evergreen forests of the southwestern end of the archipelago.