Aomori Jomon Stone Circles

Overview

This is the recommended tour if you are Jomon Lover or interested in Stone Circle.
"Jomon Prehistric Sites in Northern Japan" consisting of 17 component sites was designated as World Heritage Site in 2021. Jomon period is indiginous era in Japan from about 15,000 to 2,300 years ago. It lasted over 10,000 years and almost the same era as Four great civilizations of the world.
Since ancient times, there has been a culture in Japan that respects stones as deities or ancestors.
You visit 2 sites with Stone Circles in Aomori. Oomori Katsuyama site and Komakino site are remains from about 3,000 years ago and 4,000 years ago respectively. It is said that Jomon people held rituals and ceremonies in those Stone Circles. You will feel the spiritual culture of the prehistoric era.

Meeting place

Your guide will meet you at JR Shin Aomori Station or Aomori Airport. From there you will use a taxi, train, or public transport to the destination.Meeting place can be changed.

Route

1

Jomon Stone Circle "Oomori Katsuyama site"

You will see Stone Circle (including 77 stone arrangements) and a remain of large pit building in Oomori Katsuyama Site. This Stone circle is said to have been made by Jomon People about 3000 years ago and used as a sacred place for rituals.
Original Stones were back filled with soil for preservation, but stones of this site have been placed considering the same shape, same materials, in the same location as the originals as much as possible. You can enjoy the scenery of Mt. Iwaki (most highest in Aomori) without being disturbed by modern man-made structures. This site is located at the point where the sun sets at the top of Mt. Iwaki on winter solstice. Jomon People might have looked at the same scene, too.
2

Jomon Stone Circle "Komakino Site"

The main features of Komakino Site are that Jomon People developed the land for making the stone circle, and the stone arrangement is very distinctive.
The arrangement which stones are placed vertical and horizontal alternatelly is called Komakino Style Stone Arrangement. This is one of the largest Stone Circles in Japan. All of those arrangements and stones (there are 2,899 stones) are original.
Besides stone circle, you can see the remains of burial pits, dumping ground, pit dwellings and so on. There is a Preservation Museum where you can see many Jomon potteries, clay figurines, stone tools excavated in this site.

Details

Location Aomori
Languages English
Max participants Up to 8 people
Activity duration About 5 hours

Things to know

The tour fee does not include transport expenses for participants and a guide, admission fees and meals/drinks.
Starting time of the tour, meeting place and itinerary can be customized.
Basically, those sites are closed during winter due to snow.
Recommend confortable shoes.

Keywords

Beautiful Scenery
History
Unesco World Heritage