The 2,000 year old rice culture
Stunning architecture
Early Japanese society can be found in a few places around Japan. While it was populated tens of thousands of years ago, there are significant sites that have been discovered in the southern island of Kyushu, Japan. These areas are dated from roughly 300 BC on. Much of what is seen are recreations of the early structures since wood doesn’t last that long. This area shows reconstructions of pit dwellings, watchtowers, elevated storehouses and other ancient buildings. I walked through the park to see it up close and did several sketches there. I love the pointed angles of the rooftops and the thick matted roofs.
There are many artifacts found here that you can see in the museum and exhibit halls. It is worth a visit to see these amazing structures and imagine what life was like in this early Yayoi culture.
More drawings
These were all drawn with pencil. The top sketch was drawn with pen and ink. I added watercolor washes to give it a little color.
SketchTravel
