Rediscovering Jomon Culture through Historical Exhibitions
Exploring Japan’s Quest for Sustainability and Community
On March 11, 2011, Japan faced a profound crisis—the Great East Japan Earthquake and the subsequent Fukushima nuclear disaster. These unprecedented events compelled Japanese society to deeply reconsider the consequences of excessive capitalism, characterized by environmental destruction, rampant consumerism, social isolation, and rising mental stress.
In response to these contemporary challenges, there has been a growing fascination with the Jomon period (approximately 14,000–300 BCE), an ancient Japanese culture that embraced harmony with nature, robust community ties, and rich spirituality. Today, the principles of Jomon life resonate strongly, offering solutions to environmental degradation through sustainable practices, community cohesion as an antidote to loneliness, and spirituality as relief from modern mental stress. Consequently, the Jomon lifestyle is increasingly viewed by Japanese society as a valuable framework for the future.
Yet, despite this resurgence in popularity, interpreting the Jomon culture is challenging. Although academic research into the Jomon period began less than a century ago, studies quickly fragmented due to weak interdisciplinary collaboration. This resulted in numerous specialized yet disconnected research areas, preventing scholars from forming a comprehensive view of the period.
By the late 20th century, archaeologists recognized these structural problems, but effective solutions remained elusive, causing Jomon research to stagnate into the early 21st century.
However, from the 2010s onward, renewed public interest in the Jomon lifestyle and its spiritual dimension was significantly bolstered through landmark exhibitions at major museums. These exhibitions profoundly shaped Japan’s cultural landscape, influencing modern perceptions of ancient wisdom.
The evolution of public interest can be traced through several key exhibitions at the Tokyo National Museum:
The first, held in 1951, was the “Jomon Art Exhibition.” Shortly after World War II, Japan had limited opportunities to reflect on its cultural heritage under American occupation. However, the onset of the Korean War in 1950 shifted American attention away from Japan, allowing space for cultural introspection. This groundbreaking exhibition explicitly presented Jomon pottery and clay figures (dogu) as artworks, profoundly influencing cultural figures such as avant-garde artist Taro Okamoto, later known for his iconic “Tower of the Sun” at Expo ’70.
A decade later, in 1961, the “Great Exhibition of Jomon Pottery” occurred amidst Japan’s rapid post-war urban expansion. The exhibition showcased diverse pottery artifacts discovered through widespread archaeological excavations, significantly elevating public awareness and appreciation for the artistic richness and regional diversity of Jomon culture.
In 1986, the “Jomon Dogu Exhibition” shifted attention toward the spiritual and ritualistic dimensions of the clay figures. This event ignited the first nationwide “Jomon boom” and became the first significant touring exhibition across Japan, dramatically expanding public interest.
The most recent exhibition, “Jomon: 10,000 Years of Prehistoric Art in Japan” (2018), explicitly showcased Jomon artifacts as masterpieces of ancient art. Drawing an impressive 350,000 visitors, this exhibition revitalized widespread interest in the period and laid the foundation for the current revival of Jomon culture.
However, a puzzling question emerges: Why did major Jomon exhibitions halt abruptly after 1986, creating a mysterious 30-year hiatus until their dramatic return in 2018?
The answer lies in profound socio-cultural shifts in Japan from the late 1980s, notably a significant retreat from spirituality, dramatically diminishing the cultural relevance of Jomon heritage.
In next article, we’ll explore this intriguing cultural shift, uncovering why and how spirituality, once marginalized, resurfaced powerfully after three decades, fueling today’s passionate rediscovery of Jomon wisdom.