The Jomon Period in Japan is a significant era that spanned from around 14,000 to 300 BCE.^[8] It was a time characterized by a hunter-gatherer and early agriculturalist population, marking the development of a notably complex and sedentary culture. One of the standout features of the Jomon Period is its "cord-marked" pottery, which is considered among the world's oldest. This discovery was made by Edward S. Morse, an American zoologist and orientalist, in 1877.^[9]

The Jomon Period is segmented into several phases, including:

• Incipient Jomon (13,750-8,500 BCE)
• Initial Jomon (8,500–5,000 BCE)
• Early Jomon (5,000–3,520 BCE)
• Middle Jomon (3,520–2,470 BCE)
• Late Jomon (2,470–1,250 BCE)
• Final Jomon (1,250–500 BCE)

Each phase, while falling under the umbrella of the Jomon Period, showcases significant regional and temporal diversity.^[10] Geographically, the Japanese archipelago, during the early Jomon Period, was connected to continental Asia. However, rising sea levels around 12,000 BCE led to its isolation. The Jomon population was mainly concentrated in Honshu and Kyushu, areas rich in seafood and forest resources. The Early Jomon saw a dramatic rise in population, coinciding with the warm and humid Holocene climatic optimum. But by 1500 BCE, as the climate began to cool, there was a notable decline in the population. Throughout the Jomon Period, various forms of horticulture and small-scale agriculture flourished, though the extent of these activities remains a topic of discussion.

The Final Jomon phase marked a pivotal transition in the Jomon Period. Around 900 BCE, there was increased contact with the Korean Peninsula, eventually giving rise to new farming cultures like the Yayoi period between 500 and 300 BCE. In Hokkaido, the traditional Jomon culture evolved into the Okhotsk and Epi-Jomon cultures by the 7th century. These changes signified a gradual assimilation of new technologies and cultures, such as wet rice farming and metallurgy, into the prevailing Jomon framework.