The Jomon Culture in Japan is one of the strangest Prehistoric cultures in the world. It was extremely long lived, beginning in the Upper Palaeolithic around 13000 BC and lasting down to around 800 BC, but they never developed agriculture but remained based on foraging for nuts and fish. Nevertheless it was surprisingly sophisticated, producing some wonderful pottery and figurines as well as living in some very extensive villages. These photographs are all taken from a new book: Jomon Reflections by Tatsuo Kobayashi (Oxbow £25).
