[Paleolithic Sites in Aomori Prefecture: Part 2] New discoveries that have changed Japan's Paleolithic history are being unearthed one after another!

"there were lions in Japan"I was surprised by the news report that

Many of the fossils found in the Paleolithic strata (approximately 125,000 to 12,000 years ago) unearthed in Aomori Prefecture appear to be those of tigers

One of the fossils, found in excellent condition at Shiriyazaki (Higashidori Village) on the Shimokita Peninsula, was examined in detail for DNA and protein analysis along with fossils from Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture and Mine City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. All of the resultsa lion (cave lion)matched those of

Thislions once inhabited Cape Shiriya in Aomori Prefectureproves that

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

Were there ancient lion species in Aomori Prefecture? Shocking research findings were published in January 2026!

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/52704

"Japanese fossil tigers were actually lions." In January 2026, a shocking research finding was announced. Furthermore, fossils discovered at Shiriyazaki (Shiriyazaki/Higashidori Village) on the Shimokita Peninsula in Aomori Prefecture contributed significantly to this research. The DNA of large feline fossils found at Shiriyazaki and other locations matched that of lions. Until then, large feline fossils found throughout Japan had been called lions, tigers, leopards, etc., but the prevailing theory was that they had become extinct in Japan at the end of the Paleolithic period. On January 26, 2026 (New York time), research was conducted by the Graduate University for Advanced Studies in Japan, as well as researchers from China, Denmark, the United Kingdom, and others...

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Cave lionsbelonged to the same genus as existing lions, but were a distinct species. They lacked (or had very short) manes and were apparently very ferocious.

It is believed that they somehow migrated to Japan around 35,000 years ago, during the last ice age

There are over 30 Paleolithic sites in Aomori Prefecture. The reason for this is..

In Aomori Prefecture,4,893 Jomon period archaeological sites have been found (as of March 2023), whileonly about 30 Paleolithic siteshave been discovered. This is far too few compared to the more than 10,000 sites found nationwide.

The reason for this is that, with the exception of areas such as Shiriyazaki on the Shimokita Peninsula and the southern part of the Tsugaru Peninsula, many areas have acidic soil, which has caused calcium substances in bones and other tissues to dissolve

Furthermore, because the area around Aomori Prefecture has many large volcanoes such as Mount Towada, Mount Iwaki, Mount Hakkoda, and Mount Hachimantai, layers of sedimentation have occurred over many years since the Paleolithic period, making it difficult to reach the Paleolithic layers

Furthermore, it is said that Aomori Prefecture, during the Paleolithic period, had very few people due to its extremely cold climate, and therefore there are few archaeological sites

The oldest Paleolithic site in Japan is

The oldest archaeological site in Japan isthe "Kanmuri Site"(Hatsukaichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture), where excavated artifacts date back approximately 42,300 years (announced in May 2025).

Furthermore, the oldest known human bone fossils were foundthe Yamashita-cho Daiichi Doketsu site(Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture), dating back approximately 32,000 to 36,000 years ago.

In the Tohoku region,the Kanedori site(Tono City, Iwate Prefecture) is considered the oldest archaeological site, with artifacts such as stone tools unearthed from a stratum dating back approximately 35,000 years.

The representative Paleolithic sites in Aomori Prefecture are

• Odaiyamamoto II Site(Sotogahama Town)
• Ohirayama Moto III Site(Sotogahama Town)
• Omori Katsuyama Ruins(Hirosaki City)
• Tamukai Hiyamizu Ruins(Hachinohe City)
• Itsumegawa Ruins(Misawa City / within the U.S. Misawa Air Base)
• Fukushima Castle Ruins(Goshogawara City)
• Nakano Ruins(Hirosaki City)
• Kakuregawa Ruins(Goshogawara City)
• Shishizawa Ruins(Noheji Town)

And so on

Furthermore, the "Ohirayama Moto I Site" is classified as a Jomon period (initial stage) site because pottery was unearthed there

The Hachinohe tephra layer made it easier to verify the age of the archaeological site

Approximately 15,700 years ago, the Towada-Hachinohe eruption of Mount Towada (whose crater is Lake Towada) released a massive amount of volcanic ash, a record in Japanese history. The ash was carried by the westerlies and reached as far south as southern Hokkaido

Of course, ash fell across almost the entire prefecture of Aomori, accumulating to several meters near the crater and tens of centimeters even around the Shimokita Peninsula. The Hachinohe region, in particular, was continuously hit by ash carried by the westerlies, and was further covered by pyroclastic flows, leaving it a desolate wasteland

In other words, the geological layers of Aomori Prefecture are clearly separated by thevolcanic ash (Hachinohe Tephra = To-H)than 15,700 yearsyounger. This is especially evident on the Pacific side.

Hachinohe tephra spreads out in layers, but there's an advantage to being able to easily identify these layers as Hachinohe tephra: the difference in color

While geological strata are generally brown in color,the Hachinohe tephra is white or pale yellow. It also has the characteristic of being extremely brittle, consisting of three layers centered around coarse pumice.

The archaeological site where stone tools and other artifacts were unearthed from the strata below the Hachinohe tephra is

• Chojakubo Site(Tohoku Town / Approximately 16,000 years ago / Early Jomon period)
• Tamukai Reisui Site(Hachinohe City / 24,000 to 20,000 years ago / Paleolithic period)
• Gokawame Site(within Misawa Air Base, Misawa City / 19,000 to 17,000 years ago)

These are some examples

The Ohirayamamoto Site, the oldest Paleolithic site in Aomori Prefecture

is said to be the oldest Stone Age site in Aomori PrefectureThe Ohirayamamoto archaeological site. Stone tools with characteristics of the late Paleolithic period, estimated to be 13,000 years old or even earlier, along with pottery fragments, have been discovered there.

The Ohirayama archaeological site is located on a small hill about 26 meters above sea level, along the Kanita River, which flows into Mutsu Bay, in the central-eastern part of the Tsugaru Peninsula

The Kanita River is home to salmon and trout that migrate upstream, and siliceous shale (a type of fossilized diatomaceous earth used for stone tools) can be found nearby, making it an ideal location for the Paleolithic period when stone tools were used

The excavation was triggered by a stone that a middle school student found, which looked like a stone tool

The ruinsin 1971 when a local junior high school student picked up a stone, whichwere discovered

The stone that was found turned out to be a stone tool from the early Jomon period called a "Mikoshiba-type stone axe," and subsequent excavations revealed that the site dates from the Paleolithic period to the early Jomon period

At the site where the initial excavation survey was conducted ("Ohirayama Moto I Site"), a large number of pottery fragments were unearthed in 1998 along with Paleolithic stone tools, revealing that pottery had been used in Japan since the Paleolithic period, approximately 13,000 years ago

The pottery fragments lacked patterns (plain pottery) and were presumed to predate the Jomon pottery with its cord-marked surface. Radiocarbon dating of the burnt residue attached to the pottery yielded the astonishing result of approximately 16,500 years ago

The discovery of the world's oldest pottery (at the time of its discovery) has attracted worldwide attention

The 16,500-year-old pottery was the oldest in the world at the time and attracted global attention

Currently, since pottery discovered in China in 2012 was announced to be approximately 20,000 years old, the pottery from the "Ohirayamamoto Site" is considered among the oldest in the world

The reason it attracted attention is that Europe and America were in the midst of the Paleolithic period, a time when pottery and similar artifacts were not yet in use (pottery began to be used in Europe and other regions about 9,000 years ago)

Excavations were carried out at the "Ohirayama-moto I Site," followed by the "Ohirayama-moto II Site" and the "Ohirayama-moto III Site," but pottery has only been unearthed at the "Ohirayama-moto I Site."

Even among Paleolithic sites, those where pottery is found are considered Jomon period (initial stage), while those where no pottery is found are considered Paleolithic sites. Therefore, strictly speaking, the "Ōhirayama-moto I site" is from the Jomon period (initial stage), while the "Ōhirayama-moto II site" and "Ōhirayama-moto III site" are Paleolithic sites (15,000 years ago)

The Ohirayamamoto Site, encompassing sections I through III, is a national historic site and"Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Hokkaido and Northern Tohokuis designated as a

Artifacts unearthed from the "Ohirayamamoto Site"the "Ohirayamamoto Site Exhibition Facility Muumonkan"are currently on display at

Ohirayama Moto Site <Information>

• Facility name: Ohirayama Moto Site
• Location: Kanita Ohirayamamoto, Sotogahama-machi, Higashitsugaru-gun, Aomori Prefecture
• Inquiries: Muumonkan, the Ohirayamamoto Archaeological Site Exhibition Facility
• Phone number: 0174-22-2577
• Visit: Free
• Cultural Property Designations: World Cultural Heritage Site, Nationally Designated Important Cultural Property, Aomori Prefecture Designated Important Cultural Property, Nationally Designated Historic Site
• URL:Ohirayama Moto Site

Ohirayama Moto Archaeological Site Exhibition Facility Muumonkan <Information>

• Facility name: Ohirayama Moto Archaeological Site Exhibition Facility Muumonkan
• Phone number: 0174-22-2577
• Opening hours: 9:00-16:00
• Admission fee: General (university students and above) 300 yen, high school students and younger: Free
• Closed on: Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a public holiday), December 29th to January 3rd
• URL:Ohirayama Moto Archaeological Site Exhibition Facility Moomonkan
• access:
  • Public transportation: Approximately 10 minutes by car from Kanita Station on the JR Tsugaru Line
  • By car: Approximately 45 minutes from Aomori Interchange on the Tohoku Expressway

Google Map

Paleolithic archaeological sites in Aomori Prefecture are attracting global attention

Although the total number of Paleolithic (early Jomon period) sites in Aomori Prefecture is relatively small, there are several sites that have attracted global attention,the "Ohirayama-moto I Site," where some of; the numerous animal fossils found at the limestone quarry off Shiriya Cape;the "Shikari Abe Cave Site (Abe Site)", which shows evidence of Paleolithic human and animal activity.

The limestone quarry has generated plenty of buzz, including the discovery of a feline fossil that turned out to be a lion, not a tiger.the Ishijiri Rouanbe Cave, where. We will be keeping a close eye on future Paleolithic archaeological investigations in Aomori Prefecture.

While some Paleolithic sites in Aomori Prefecture, such as the Ohirayamamoto Site and the Omori Katsuyama Site, have been designated as national historic sites or World Cultural Heritage sites and are open to the public, many others are still under excavation, have been backfilled, or are located on private company land or U.S. military bases, prohibiting tourist access

Please do not enter restricted areas or private property without permission

In the second part of "Paleolithic Sites in Aomori Prefecture," we'll take a closer look at Shiriyazaki on the Shimokita Peninsula, a treasure trove of Paleolithic artifacts that is currently attracting a lot of attention.

NORIJUN

My love of travel led me to work for a travel magazine some time ago, and now I work as a travel writer for an online publication. I have visited all 47 prefectures in Japan, focusing on the Tohoku region, and I enjoy soaking in hot springs and experiencing traditional Japanese culture, including old townscapes, lifestyles, and performing arts and crafts