Kyushu is said to be the cradle of the Japanese culture and therefore it is not surprising that you can visit many replicas of old villages archaeologists have excavated in last decades. But it might be astonishing that the presumably oldest village in Japan was erected in the same place as today’s Fukuoka City, Itazuke.
The village might have existed from the later Jomon period (around 3000 Years B.C.) until the late Yayoi period (around 200 years A.C.). The excavation of the site started in the 1950’s when more and more vessels, mortars and other tools were found on a field near an elementary school in Itazuke. The site was declared a historical site in 1975.
Next to a replica of the village, a small museum exhibits various replicas of vessels, mortars, tools and clothes that ancient Japanese people have used. You might also find some replicas of tools from the Japanese stone age.
The museum and village is open every day from 9:00 until 17:00. The admission is free.
The Itazuke Ruins are the perfect place for everyone who is interested in ancient Japanese history.
http://www.japanese-school-asahi.com/
