Yoshinogari, town in Kanzaki district, Saga prefecture, Japan
Yoshinogari is a small town in Saga Prefecture centered around a large archaeological park showing an ancient fortified village from the Yayoi period. The site includes reconstructed houses, granaries, watchtowers, a surrounding moat, and a museum displaying pottery, tools, and artifacts from excavations.
The site was discovered in the 1980s during construction work and dates to the Yayoi period starting about 2000 years ago, when people mastered rice farming and created pottery influenced by Korea and China. It is the largest and oldest known settlement of its kind found in Japan.
The town is named after a historical region and is now closely associated with the archaeological site that shows visitors how people lived two thousand years ago. The reconstructed settlement allows you to experience the daily practices and social organization of that ancient time.
The park is open year-round with walking paths, exhibits, and hands-on activities like pottery making and fire starting using ancient techniques. Wear comfortable shoes since the site covers a large area and you may spend two to three hours exploring the main highlights.
The central viewing tower offers a panoramic view of the entire reconstructed settlement, instantly revealing how the ancient defense structures and community layout functioned. From above you can see how the moat stretching about 2.5 kilometers protected the village.
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