Ancient village remains from the Yayoi Period (200 B.C. to A.D. 250) have been found on the former British Embassy grounds in Tokyo, the Chiyoda Ward office confirmed Thursday.
According to Chiyoda Ward, remains of 28 buildings have been found, with 21 from the Yayoi Period, three from the Jomon Period (10,000 to 200 B.C.) and four that cannot be identified. One of the remains from the Jomon Period contained shells, which are important artifacts vital for historical research.
Only about 3,700 square meters out of the total of 7,700 have been excavated so far, meaning there is a high likelihood of more discoveries to come.
But despite the discovery, Mitsubishi Estate Residence ¡ª which is currently building an apartment complex on the land ¡ª plans to continue on with construction after the excavation of the area concludes in March.
Chiyoda Ward officials and the company had discussed preserving some of the remains or keeping the historical site open to the public, but an agreement could not be reached.
¡°In our ward, the discovery of remains has happened in other places as well, and each time we try to (find ways to preserve it or open it up to the public),¡± said Nobuaki Kato, an official at the Chiyoda Ward office who specializes in cultural properties. ¡°In most cases, it¡¯s difficult to have the company agree, since they have purchased the land to do business and want to speed up the (construction) process as much as possible.¡±
Kato noted that the property owner must pay for safety inspections and security guards if they plan to open it to the public, in addition to paying for relocation and maintenance if they choose to move the remains elsewhere ¡ª an option that companies understandably do not want to take.
The on-site research of the remains is currently being conducted and funded by the real-estate developer under the guidance of ward officials.
Artifacts that have been found on the grounds ¡ª such as pots, vases and other items that illustrate life during those times, with some also from the Edo period ¡ª will be kept by the ward. They plan to eventually exhibit the findings to the public after further research.
The land was formerly occupied by the British Embassy in Japan, but was sold to Mitsubishi Estate Residence in April of 2022. It is located in the Ichibancho area of Chiyoda Ward, near the Imperial Palace.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.