[Hida City, Gifu Prefecture] A feat for the first time in 30 years! 377 artifacts, including 'Sekibo' (stone rods) which are Jomon period prayer tools excavated in Miyagawa-cho, Hida City, designated as National Important Cultural Properties! Recognized for high academic value as materials that elucidate the production process.
Hida City, Gifu Prefecture, announced that 377 Jomon period artifacts, including 'Sekibo' stone rods excavated from the Shima and Shioya Kinese Shrine ruins, have been recommended for designation as National Important Cultural Properties. These items are highly valued for systematically demonstrating the production process and evolution of Sekibo, offering new insights into Jomon period technology and cultural exchange. This designation marks the second time a National Important Cultural Property (Fine Arts and Crafts) has been registered in the city.
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- 📰 Published: March 28, 2026 at 02:59
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Hida City, Gifu Prefecture (Mayor: Junya Tsuzuki), is pleased to announce that 377 items, including Sekibo (stone rods) and Jomon pottery excavated from the local Shima site and Shioya Kinese Shrine site, have been recommended by the Council for Cultural Affairs to the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology for designation as National Important Cultural Properties (Fine Arts and Crafts). This is the 11th National Cultural Property for Hida City, and the second National Important Cultural Property (Fine Arts and Crafts) following the 'Excavated Artifacts from Nakanoyama-koshi Site, Gifu Prefecture' (1996).
Value as a 'Holy Land of Sekibo'
The Shima and Shioya Kinese Shrine sites located in Miyagawa-cho, Hida City, are rare sites that clearly retain the production traces of 'Sekibo,' representative ritual artifacts of the Jomon period. Using welded tuff (commonly known as Shioya stone) collected in the vicinity as material, the process of Sekibo production from approximately 4,500 years ago (Middle Jomon) to 3,500 years ago (Late/Final Jomon) was excavated together with unfinished products and tools (hammerstones/whetstones).
In this recommendation, in addition to the identification of the raw material production site, the artifacts were evaluated as having extremely high value as 'standard materials' that systematically demonstrate the process of Sekibo morphology transitioning from large to small.
Main Points of this Designation
1. Number of items designated: 377 items. [Primary Designation] 284 items: 171 Sekibo, 113 tools (83 hammerstones, 30 whetstones). [Supplementary] 93 items: 24 flakes, 11 raw stones, 53 Jomon pottery/earthenware, 5 other stone tools.
2. Complete visualization of the Sekibo production process: Materials for each production stage such as 'flaking,' 'hammering,' and 'polishing' are available, revealing advanced processing techniques of the time and the existence of special processes using fire.
3. Backing for wide-area cultural exchange: Jomon pottery with characteristics of Hokuriku, Shinshu, Kanto, and Western Japan were excavated together, proving that Hida was a crossroads of cultural exchange connecting various parts of Japan since ancient times.
Significance of becoming an Important Cultural Property
The Hida City Board of Education has been conducting research over three years starting from fiscal year 2023. By being able to read the production process of Sekibo, a representative ritual tool of the Jomon period, from the materials, it is possible to understand the production technology. This has clarified the transition from 4,500 years ago in the Middle Jomon period to 3,500 years ago in the Late period, becoming a standard material that systematically shows the specific methods and morphological changes of Sekibo production. This high academic value has the potential to greatly contribute to future Jomon period research.
Meanwhile, it is still a mystery how the Sekibo itself was used, but because the materials that reveal the production process are designated as National Important Cultural Properties and preserved for the future, it will be possible to approach the 'mystery' that cannot be solved at this stage at any time in the future. For this reason, the designation of the Sekibo can be said to be the first step in approaching the mystery itself.
[Owner: Hida City (2-22 Honmachi, Furukawa-cho, Hida City, Gifu Prefecture) | Count: 377 items | Research Data: Please see the details page on the Hida City website.]
Main excavated items and features
Excavations have been conducted at the Shima site since 2008 and at the Shioya Kinese Shrine site since 1973. Hida City has previously reported 737 artifacts from the Shima site and 890 from the Shioya Kinese Shrine site. Among them, 252 artifacts from the Shioya Kinese Shrine site were designated as Gifu Prefectural Important Cultural Properties on July 29, 1997. This time, 51 items from the Shima site and 326 items from the Shioya Kinese Shrine site will be designated.
Shima Site Excavated Items: 1. Diversity of pottery (Jomon pottery influenced by Hokuriku is most common; by the end of the Middle period, pottery influenced by Shinshu and Kanto began to appear). 2. Elucidation of Middle period Sekibo production process (Characteristic large size over 10cm in diameter; produced in 3 stages: flaking, hammering, polishing; possibility of fire processing/disposal; numerous tools discovered). 3. Connections between Hida and other regions in the Middle Jomon period (Sekibo made in Hida and the Hokuriku region centered on Toyama were transported; distribution area matches the abundance of Hokuriku-style pottery).
Shioya Kinese Shrine Site Excavated Items: 1. Characteristics of pottery culture (Hokuriku and Kanto-style pottery dominate; mid-Late period sees Western Japan-style pottery; end of Late period returns to Hokuriku-style). 2. Production process and diversity of stone products (Confirmed stages include raw stone, flaking, hammering, and polishing; some skip hammering; mostly small Sekibo around 5cm thick; classified as substitutes/replicas of Tohoku/Kanto types; diverse stone products like stone swords and stone crowns also excavated). 3. Excavation of tools and processing technology (Hammerstones classified into 4 types; small stone chips from production confirmed). 4. Connections between Hida and other regions in the Late Jomon period (Distribution extends to Takayama and Gujo City; corroborates evidence of wide-area exchange).
Two special exhibitions are currently being held in Hida City where you can actually see Sekibo!
1. Machinaka Pocket Museum 'Pocket Sekibo Exhibition' (Held until May 31, 2025; Free admission; Location: Furukawa Sakura Bussankan Kura Hall).
2. Hida City Museum of Art 'Another Sekibo Exhibition' (Held until April 22, 2025; Free admission; Location: Hida City Museum of Art Gallery 2. *All exhibits are National Important Cultural Properties*).
Preservation and utilization integrated with citizens and administration
Activities such as the 'Sekibo Club,' a community where Jomon fans and researchers connect through 'Sekibo,' and volunteer guides by local Miyagawa Elementary School students are underway. Additionally, major cultural facilities in Hida City are being released in virtual space so that anyone can access the cultural properties from anywhere in the world 24 hours a day.
Comments
Mayor of Hida, Junya Tsuzuki: I am very pleased that Sekibo is being designated as a National Important Cultural Property. I believe this is the core of regional development, and I hope to continue to share the universal value of these materials.
Superintendent of Education, Hida City, Naohiro Shimode: Research has successfully clarified the Sekibo production process. Designation as a National Important Cultural Property is proof that its value has been recognized, and I am very happy about this.
Curator of Hida Miyagawa Archaeological and Folklore Museum, Kiyotaka Miyoshi: I am relieved that we can designate them as National Important Cultural Properties and pass them on. I am grateful to the researchers, the Sekibo Club, and the city. I am committed to doing my utmost for certain inheritance.
Value as a 'Holy Land of Sekibo'
The Shima and Shioya Kinese Shrine sites located in Miyagawa-cho, Hida City, are rare sites that clearly retain the production traces of 'Sekibo,' representative ritual artifacts of the Jomon period. Using welded tuff (commonly known as Shioya stone) collected in the vicinity as material, the process of Sekibo production from approximately 4,500 years ago (Middle Jomon) to 3,500 years ago (Late/Final Jomon) was excavated together with unfinished products and tools (hammerstones/whetstones).
In this recommendation, in addition to the identification of the raw material production site, the artifacts were evaluated as having extremely high value as 'standard materials' that systematically demonstrate the process of Sekibo morphology transitioning from large to small.
Main Points of this Designation
1. Number of items designated: 377 items. [Primary Designation] 284 items: 171 Sekibo, 113 tools (83 hammerstones, 30 whetstones). [Supplementary] 93 items: 24 flakes, 11 raw stones, 53 Jomon pottery/earthenware, 5 other stone tools.
2. Complete visualization of the Sekibo production process: Materials for each production stage such as 'flaking,' 'hammering,' and 'polishing' are available, revealing advanced processing techniques of the time and the existence of special processes using fire.
3. Backing for wide-area cultural exchange: Jomon pottery with characteristics of Hokuriku, Shinshu, Kanto, and Western Japan were excavated together, proving that Hida was a crossroads of cultural exchange connecting various parts of Japan since ancient times.
Significance of becoming an Important Cultural Property
The Hida City Board of Education has been conducting research over three years starting from fiscal year 2023. By being able to read the production process of Sekibo, a representative ritual tool of the Jomon period, from the materials, it is possible to understand the production technology. This has clarified the transition from 4,500 years ago in the Middle Jomon period to 3,500 years ago in the Late period, becoming a standard material that systematically shows the specific methods and morphological changes of Sekibo production. This high academic value has the potential to greatly contribute to future Jomon period research.
Meanwhile, it is still a mystery how the Sekibo itself was used, but because the materials that reveal the production process are designated as National Important Cultural Properties and preserved for the future, it will be possible to approach the 'mystery' that cannot be solved at this stage at any time in the future. For this reason, the designation of the Sekibo can be said to be the first step in approaching the mystery itself.
[Owner: Hida City (2-22 Honmachi, Furukawa-cho, Hida City, Gifu Prefecture) | Count: 377 items | Research Data: Please see the details page on the Hida City website.]
Main excavated items and features
Excavations have been conducted at the Shima site since 2008 and at the Shioya Kinese Shrine site since 1973. Hida City has previously reported 737 artifacts from the Shima site and 890 from the Shioya Kinese Shrine site. Among them, 252 artifacts from the Shioya Kinese Shrine site were designated as Gifu Prefectural Important Cultural Properties on July 29, 1997. This time, 51 items from the Shima site and 326 items from the Shioya Kinese Shrine site will be designated.
Shima Site Excavated Items: 1. Diversity of pottery (Jomon pottery influenced by Hokuriku is most common; by the end of the Middle period, pottery influenced by Shinshu and Kanto began to appear). 2. Elucidation of Middle period Sekibo production process (Characteristic large size over 10cm in diameter; produced in 3 stages: flaking, hammering, polishing; possibility of fire processing/disposal; numerous tools discovered). 3. Connections between Hida and other regions in the Middle Jomon period (Sekibo made in Hida and the Hokuriku region centered on Toyama were transported; distribution area matches the abundance of Hokuriku-style pottery).
Shioya Kinese Shrine Site Excavated Items: 1. Characteristics of pottery culture (Hokuriku and Kanto-style pottery dominate; mid-Late period sees Western Japan-style pottery; end of Late period returns to Hokuriku-style). 2. Production process and diversity of stone products (Confirmed stages include raw stone, flaking, hammering, and polishing; some skip hammering; mostly small Sekibo around 5cm thick; classified as substitutes/replicas of Tohoku/Kanto types; diverse stone products like stone swords and stone crowns also excavated). 3. Excavation of tools and processing technology (Hammerstones classified into 4 types; small stone chips from production confirmed). 4. Connections between Hida and other regions in the Late Jomon period (Distribution extends to Takayama and Gujo City; corroborates evidence of wide-area exchange).
Two special exhibitions are currently being held in Hida City where you can actually see Sekibo!
1. Machinaka Pocket Museum 'Pocket Sekibo Exhibition' (Held until May 31, 2025; Free admission; Location: Furukawa Sakura Bussankan Kura Hall).
2. Hida City Museum of Art 'Another Sekibo Exhibition' (Held until April 22, 2025; Free admission; Location: Hida City Museum of Art Gallery 2. *All exhibits are National Important Cultural Properties*).
Preservation and utilization integrated with citizens and administration
Activities such as the 'Sekibo Club,' a community where Jomon fans and researchers connect through 'Sekibo,' and volunteer guides by local Miyagawa Elementary School students are underway. Additionally, major cultural facilities in Hida City are being released in virtual space so that anyone can access the cultural properties from anywhere in the world 24 hours a day.
Comments
Mayor of Hida, Junya Tsuzuki: I am very pleased that Sekibo is being designated as a National Important Cultural Property. I believe this is the core of regional development, and I hope to continue to share the universal value of these materials.
Superintendent of Education, Hida City, Naohiro Shimode: Research has successfully clarified the Sekibo production process. Designation as a National Important Cultural Property is proof that its value has been recognized, and I am very happy about this.
Curator of Hida Miyagawa Archaeological and Folklore Museum, Kiyotaka Miyoshi: I am relieved that we can designate them as National Important Cultural Properties and pass them on. I am grateful to the researchers, the Sekibo Club, and the city. I am committed to doing my utmost for certain inheritance.