Asahi Moated Settlement

History

This site, now called Asahi, may have been inhabited from as early as the late Jōmon period, as artefacts from that time have been unearthed. Ceramics of both Jōmon and Yayoi artifice have been found at the same level in shell middens, indicating that the site may have served as a site of cultural interchange in its early days.

The settlement was founded in the early Yayoi period (between two and three millenia ago to give a broad range), and became one of the largest Yayoi settlements in Japan, with an area of about 1.4km east-west by 0.8km north-south. Moats are believe to have been dug from an early period, and vastly expanded toward the middle of the Yayoi period when the settlement reached its peak.

Visit Notes

Asahi- kangōshūraku is an ancient moated settlement site in Kiyosu Municipality; it is about a ten minute walk east from Kiyosu Castle. The site, which features reconstructed pit-dwellings, a storehouse, and excavated moat segments, was discovered in 1929 and designated a National Historic Site in 1971. The ruins are also known as Kaigarayama-kaiźuka, referring to the large shell midden on site.

The Asahi ancient settlement was heavily fortified. Models and dioramas at the museum on site show the defensive features employed by the Yayoi inhabitants. These included dorui (earthen ramparts), karabori or kangō (dry moats), palings, sakamogi (abbattis), and rangui (stakes / pickets) in multiple layers. A model in the museum shows what the fortifications may have looked like.

Gallery

Model of site showing fortifications

Castle Profile
English Name	Asahi Moated Settlement
Japanese Name	朝日環濠集落
Alternate Names	朝日遺跡・貝殻山貝塚
Founder	The Yayoi
Year Founded	Early Yayoi Period
Castle Type	Flatland
Castle Condition	No main keep but other buildings
Designations	National Historic Site
Historical Period	Pre Edo Period
Features	trenches
Visitor Information
Access	Owari-Hoshinomiya Station on the Jōhoku Line; 10 minute walk; or, Shin-Kiyosu Station on the Meitetsu-Nagoya Main Line; 26 minute walk; or, Kiyosu Station on the Tōkaidō Main Line; 27 minute walk.
Visitor Information	Museum: 9:30-17:00; closed Mondays and Year's End
Time Required	60 minutes
Website	https://aichi-asahi.jp/
Location	Kiyosu, Aichi Prefecture
Coordinates	35° 13' 6.60" N, 136° 51' 4.82" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2024
Contributor	ART
Admin Year Visited	Viewer Contributed

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