One of the most iconic artifacts of ancient Japan is the Shakōki-dogū (“goggle-eyed clay idol”), which was found at the Kamegaoka archaeological site in Aomori Prefecture in 1887 and is held at the Tokyo National Museum today. The image often represents the Japanese Neolithic as a whole. The Kamegaoka site was discovered in 1622 when the local daimyo found a large hoard of pottery and clay figurines during the construction of his castle. It is believed that “Kamegaoka ware” found here was subsequently sold off by the thousand and even…
