Yayoi Discussion

Dedicated for all DNA, Analysis Results, History, Research topics related to: Yayoi

The Yayoi period lasted from 300 BC to 250 AD, coinciding with the Chinese Han dynasty. The Yayoi migrated to a Japan already inhabited for many thousands of years, bringing with them new methods of Rice farming and metalworking. The native Jomon were struggling to their hunter gatherer lifestyle and food was scarce. Legend has it the first emperor of a unified China was Qin Shi Huang. After evading three assassinations the emperor wanted to find a way to live forever. He dispatched his court sorcerer Xu Fu to find the mythical mountain of the immortals where he would meet a thousand year old magician to obtain the elixir of life which grants immortality. Xu Fu gathered a few thousand men and ships only to return after encountering a sea monster to which he asked the emperor to provide him an army of archers to defeat the beast. After setting sail again, Xu Fu vanished never to return after finding Mount Fuji, the mythical mountain. He introduced wet rice farming, metalworking and chinese medicine to Japan supposedly starting the Yayoi culture. Regardless Xu Fu and his men avoided certain death by failing to return with the elixir of life.