This webpage explains how to find information on buried cultural properties (maizo bunkazai), i.e., cultural properties buried underground and typically found at archaeological sites. It also covers land where the presence of buried cultural properties is already known (known areas containing buried cultural properties).

(Reference) Agency for Cultural Affairs website, Buried Cultural Properties

For Historic Sites and other cultural properties that have already been designated or registered, please see the Research Navi guides "Japanese Cultural Properties" and "Locally Designated Cultural Properties."

1. Encyclopedias and Websites

The following encyclopedias and websites provide basic information such as the names and locations of sites.

• Comprehensive Database of Cultural Heritage in Japan (Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties)
  This database allows you to search for cultural properties across Japan. To find archaeological sites, select options such as "Settlement" or "Tumulus" under the "Site Type" field. Records include the site name, location, period, and other information.
• Japanese Palaeolithic Sites Data Base (Japanese Palaeolithic Research Association)
  This database provides region-by-region overviews and basic information for individual Palaeolithic sites. This is the web edition of Nihon retto no kyusekki jidai iseki (Palaeolithic sites in the Japanese islands: a database). NDL Call No. YU7-J2102.
• Shiseki iseki reference jiten (Reference encyclopedia of historic sites and archaeological sites) (Nichigai Associates, 2013, NDL Call No. GB11-L2)
  This resource lists 16,864 historic sites and archaeological sites in prefectural order and enables you to confirm which reference works include each entry and whether illustrations are provided. An index of Historic Site and archaeological site names—arranged in Japanese syllabary order (gojuon) and including alternative names—is provided at the end of the volume.
• Hatsushige Otsuka [et al.], ed. Nihon kodai iseki jiten (Dictionary of ancient Japanese archaeological sites) (Yoshikawa Kobunkan, 1995, NDL Call No. GB8-E92)
  This material includes 3,000 representative ancient archaeological sites.
• Hatsushige Otsuka [et al.], ed. Nihon kofun daijiten (Encyclopedia of Japanese ancient burial mounds) (2nd ed. Tokyodo Shuppan, 1990. NDL Call No. GB8-E45)
  Hatsushige Otsuka, Saburo Kobayashi, eds., Nihon kofun daijiten zoku (Encyclopedia of Japanese ancient burial mounds, supplement) (Tokyodo Shuppan, 2002, NDL Call No. GB8-H12)
  The main volume contains 2,800 entries on 4,000 kofun (ancient burial mounds), and the supplementary volume, which reflects advances in research since the publication of the main volume, contains a further 1,800 entries.
• Hakkutsu sareta Nihon retto (Exhibition of excavations in the Japanese archipelago)
  This is the catalogue for the exhibition of the same title, held annually since fiscal 1995 by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and related organizations. It presents the results of recent archaeological excavations and related findings.

Historical Encyclopedias and Gazetteers

Representative archaeological sites are also covered in historical encyclopedias and place-name dictionaries, such as the following:

• Kokushi daijiten (Encyclopedia of Japanese history) (Yoshikawa Kobunkan, 1979-1997, NDL Call No. GB8-60)
• Masatoshi Ono, Makoto Sato, Kazumi Tateno, and Ikuo Tanabe, eds., Rekishi kokogaku daijiten (Encyclopedia of historical archaeology) (Yoshikawa Kobunkan, 2007, NDL Call No. GB111-H178)
• Nihon rekishi chimei taikei (Compendium on historical place names of Japan) (Heibonsha, 1979-2005)
• Kadokawa Nihon chimei daijiten (Kadokawa geographical dictionary of Japan) (Kadokawa Shoten, 1978-1990, NDL Call No. GB11-38)

2. Finding Archaeological Excavation Reports

The results of excavations at individual archaeological sites are recorded and published as excavation reports.

• NDL Search
  Enter the name of the site in the Keyword field, click "Refiners," then "Add field." In the added NDLC (Classification) field, enter "GB121," and in the Subject field, enter ｢遺跡･遺物｣, and run the search.
• Comprehensive Database of Cultural Heritage in Japan (Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties)
  Enter keywords in the Keyword field, then you can search excavation reports. In the Report Search, select municipalities under Participation-organizations, and under the Report Type, select 「a:報告書類」＞「埋蔵文化財（遺跡等）」＞「発掘調査・分布調査・資料調査等」, and run the search. Some reports are available in full-text PDF for searching and viewing.

3. Finding Archaeological Site Maps

To understand the locations and distribution of archaeological sites and related remains, the national government and local governments compile archaeological site maps (maps of buried cultural properties and maps of areas containing buried cultural properties).

3-1. General

• Japanese Cultural Heritage GIS (Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties)
  You can search archaeological sites throughout Japan by region, period, or keyword and view the results on a map. It is also possible to specify detailed site types such as shell mounds, tumuli, and temples/shrines. Where excavation reports are registered in the Comprehensive Database of Cultural Heritage in Japan, links to those reports are provided.
• Comprehensive Database of Cultural Heritage in Japan (Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties)
  Enter keywords in the Keyword field, then you can search archaeological site maps. In the Report Search, select municipalities under Participation-organizations, and under the Report Type, select「b：年報・紀要・配布資料・図録・遺跡地図等」＞「b04 遺跡地図・分布地図」, and run the search. Some reports are available in full-text PDF for searching and viewing.
• Yuichi Takata, ed., Zenkoku iseki chizu somokuroku (General catalogue of archaeological site maps in Japan) (Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, 2021, NDL Call No. GB1-M23)
  A catalogue of published archaeological site maps and maps of areas containing buried cultural properties. A PDF version is available via the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties Repository.
• Zenkoku iseki chizu: shiseki, meisho, tennen kinenbutsu oyobi maizo bunkazai hozochi chizu (National archaeological site maps: prefectural maps of historic sites, places of scenic beauty, natural monuments, and areas containing buried cultural properties) (Department of Cultural Properties Protection, Agency for Cultural Affairs, 1974-1990)
  These are prefectural maps showing the locations of historic sites, places of scenic beauty, natural monuments, and areas containing buried cultural properties. It is a revised edition of Zenkoku iseki chizu (National archaeological site maps) published between 1965 and 1968.

3-2. By Region

Some local governments make their archaeological site maps available on their websites.
The following are websites provided by prefectural governments; please also check any notes on use.
For archaeological site maps created by municipalities, please refer to the websites of the respective municipalities.

Hokkaido and Tohoku

Kanto

Chubu

Kinki

Chugoku

Shikoku

Kyushu/Okinawa

4. Overview and Systems

• Buried Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
  An overview and related information.
• Migaku Tanaka, Makoto Sahara, et al., eds. Nihon kokogaku jiten (Encyclopedia of Japanese archaeology) (Sanseido, 2002, NDL Call No. GB8-G62)
  An encyclopedia covering archaeology in general.
• Teruya Esaka, Chosuke Serizawa, Hideichi Sakazume, eds. Shin nihon kokogaku jiten (New dictionary of Japanese archaeology) (NEW SCIENCE Co., Ltd., 2020 NDL Call No. GB8-M20)
  An encyclopedia covering archaeology in general.
• Kazutomo Mizunoe, Nyumon maizo bunkazai to kokogaku (Introduction to buried cultural properties and archaeology) (Doseisha, 2020, NDL Call No. K275-M139).
  An overview of the laws and systems for the protection of buried cultural properties.
• Katsuhiko Wada, Iseki hogo no seido to gyosei (Systems and administration for the protection of archaeological sites) (Doseisha, 2015, NDL Call No. AZ-612-L32)
  An overview of the history and administrative framework of buried cultural property administration, together with statistics and relevant laws and regulations.
• Japanese Association for Preservation of Cultural Properties (Bunkazai Hozon Zenkoku Kyogikai), ed., Iseki hozon no jiten (Encyclopedia of preservation for archaeological sites) (New edition, Heibonsha 2006, NDL Call No. GB111-H147).
  From the perspective of site preservation, it covers institutions, surveys, issues, and key figures. Part II includes descriptions of 70 representative sites.

Related Search Guides

• Conservation and Restoration Reports on Cultural Properties
• Locally Designated Cultural Properties
• Local Government Histories
• Japanese Regional History Bibliographies (Subject Bibliographies) Published in the Japanese Language