This local government is hoping to find a modern lookalike for their ancient man.
This is the face of a man from ancient Japan, and perhaps the face of the modern Japanese people. Earlier this year, Tottori Prefecture's local government collected DNA from the skull of a man who had been buried in the area approximately 1800 years ago, when Japan was transitioning from the stone age to the bronze age. The man had been alive during Japan's Yayoi period, which lasted from about 300 BCE to 300 CE, and was a time of unique cultural mixing in the country. Not only did agricultural advancements help the population expand, but current prevailing theories suggest that waves of immigration from other parts of East Asia joined the indigenous peoples living on Japan's islands, shaping the population of Japan to this day. The DNA of Tottori's "Aoya Yayoi man" (excavated from the Aoya Kamijichi site in the city of Tottori) suggests that his father was part of Japan's prehistoric Jomon group, whereas his mother's family was part of a group of people that had arrived more recently during the Yayoi period. When the government tried digitally reconstructing the face of this ancient Japanese man, perhaps we shouldn't be so surprised that he looked like the average man on the street in modern Japan.
While the digital reconstruction of the Aoya Yayoi man gives him the hairstyle and facial hair of a resident of the 3rd-century, with a bit of a modern makeover and a classic clean-cut grey suit, he certainly wouldn't stand out in a 21st-century Tottori office. As Tottori Governor Shinji Hirai commented, "his face is so normal it's shocking." The governor also added that there's no doubt about it, "I think he's clearly our ancestor," and that thought sparked the local government's new project: finding the Yayoi man's modern-day doppelganger.
The Tottori Prefectural Government is now accepting applications from all over Japan to find the perfect lookalike for the Aoya Yayoi man, searching high and low for a modern Japanese citizen who can bring a little history to life. As the location of archaeological sites like Aoya Kamijichi, Tottori Prefecture has been calling itself "Tottori Yayoi Kingdom" and working to preserve these historic spots and promote the study of this unique period in Japanese history, and they're hoping this little off-the-wall contest will help to grow interest in the project. And it certainly drew the attention of the Japankuru team! The contest is accepting applicants until mid-December, and winners will not only receive a special guided tour of the archaeological site, but they'll also win a prize that includes a selection of wild game meat ー the same kind as the Aoya Yayoi man might have eaten 1,800 years ago. Truly a new level of method acting. If you've been looking at the Aoya Yayoi man and thinking he might be your twin, or the doppelganger of someone you know, find out more details from the Tottori Prefectural Government page!
▶ Images and info from Mainichi Shinbun and the Tottori Prefecture Website.
For more info and updates from Japan, check Japankuru for new articles, and don't forget to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
Details
NAME:The Tottori Prefectural Government
https://www.pref.tottori.lg.jp/item/1264458.htm#itemid1264458
PROFILE
The latest news from Japan - learn what's new in the land of the rising sun, from an international group right on the scene.
COMMENT
FEATURED MEDIA
VIEW MORE・The new Tokyo flagship for Volcom Japan is a center for all things skateboarding, street fashion, art, and culture, all in the heart of Shibuya! ・Volcom日本旗艦店東京澀谷登場 本格派滑板街頭潮流藝文新據點 #Volcom #japankuru #shibuya #日本購物 #日本潮流 #日本街頭時尚 #澀谷 #東京購物 #東京購物推薦 #東京潮店 #澀谷潮店 #滑板 #雪板 #衝浪 #볼컴 #시부야
Which snacks make the best Japanese souvenirs?~ Jaga Pirika ~ 일본과자 선물 뭐하지?~자가피리카 편~ #pr #calbee #jagapokkuru #japanesesnacks #japanesefood #japanesesouvenir #japantravel #japantrip #naritaairport #hokkaido #나리타국제공항 #일본여행선물 #흔하지않은기념품 #일본쇼핑리스트 #일본과자추천 #고구마과자 #일본간식추천 #일본면세점쇼핑 #개별포장 #일본감자칩 #도쿄나리타공항면세점 #현지인추천 #일본여행 #일본기념품리스트 #자가포쿠루 #자가피리카
Asakusa's Sanja Matsuri, one of the biggest festivals in all of Tokyo, is almost here! Make sure you check out the festival route so you don't miss all the festivities this May. #asakusa #sanjafestival #sanjamatsuri #asakusashrine #sensoji #sensojitemple #japanesefestival #shintoshrine #japaneseculture #tokyo #tokyotrip #tokyotravel #asakusasightseeing #matsuri #japantrip #japantravel #springinjapan #tokyotravel #japankuru #산자마츠리 #아사쿠사 #일본마츠리 #일본여행 #일본5월
Odaiba's DiverCity Tokyo Plaza is home to the famous real-size 20m-tall Unicorn Gundam, and the popular shopping center has even more Gundam on the inside! Check out the Gundam Base Tokyo on the 7th floor for shelves upon shelves of Gunpla, and the Gundam Base Tokyo Annex on the 2nd floor for cool anime merchandise. Both shops have tons of limited-edition items! #pr #odaiba #tokyo #tokyotrip #japantrip #japantravel #PR #divercity #divercitytokyoplaza #tokyoshopping #gundam #unicorngundam #gundambasetokyo #anime #otaku #gunpla #japankuru #오다이바 #다이바시티도쿄 #오다이바건담 #건담 #일본건담 #건프라 #건담베이스도쿄
Evangelion, in miniature!? Tokyo's SMALL WORLDS Miniature Museum is actually a must-see for anime lovers, thanks to the tiny Evangelion Hangar and Tokyo-III... plus a whole universe of other scenes both real and fictional. #smallworlds #smallworldstokyo #tokyotrip #tokyotravel #evangelion #eva #anime #miniature #miniatures #animefigure #japantrip #japantravel #에반게리온 #스몰월드 #에반겔리온 #スモールワールズ #오다이바 #아리아케
Have you sat down for a snack at Sumida Aquarium yet? This aquarium next to Tokyo Skytree is known for its penguins and garden eels, but we can't get enough of their cute snacks! There are lots of good seats around the aquarium, too, so it almost feels like one big cafe. 🐧 • Find out more at Japankuru.com! (Link in bio.) • #japankuru #sumidaaquarium #skytree #tokyoskytree #solamachi #sumida #tokyo #tokyotrip #tokyotravel #aquarium #japanesesweets #themecafe #すみだ水族館 #Japan #日本 #일본 #Japon #ญี่ปุ่น #Japão #япония #japantravel #日本旅行 #日本旅遊 #japan_of_insta #japantrip #traveljapan #japan🇯🇵 #igerstokyo #explorejapan
For anime fans, the Evangelion areas at Small Worlds Miniature Museum are a must see! The tiny miniature people in the Evangelion Hangar look like ants beneath the moving Unit-01, Unit-00, and Unit-02! And over in Tokyo-III, characters like Shinji, Rei, and Katsuragi live life on a miniature scale. #odaiba #tokyo #tokyotrip #japantrip #japantravel #ariake #smallworlds #miniaturemuseum #smallworldstokyo #tokyotravel #evangelion #eva #anime #miniature #miniatures #animefigure #japankuru #스몰월드 #에반게리온 #오다이바 #오다이바관광 #오다이바스몰월드 #미니어쳐