Hokkitsu Historical Museum is a local history museum in Hokkitsu Town, Shibukawa City, Gunma Prefecture. The museum introduces the history and culture of the Hokkitsu area from the Paleolithic period to the present day. Through archaeological artifacts, folk materials, and cultural properties, visitors can discover how local communities developed and how people lived throughout the region’s long history.
With the theme of being a “center for rediscovering and creating the hometown,” the museum also serves as a place for sharing the area’s history and traditional culture with future generations.
The collection includes pottery and stone tools excavated from ancient archaeological sites, as well as agricultural implements, traditional tools, and objects associated with sericulture. One of the museum’s major highlights is the collection of artifacts from the Dokunmae Site, which has been designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. These artifacts offer a fascinating glimpse into the rich culture of the Jomon period.
The museum presents the history of the Hokkitsu area in chronological order, from the Paleolithic period through modern times. Archaeological and folk materials are used to explain how the local community developed and how people’s lifestyles and culture changed over the centuries.
The museum also has a Traditional Culture Learning Room, where visitors can learn about local performing arts, traditional skills, and other aspects of regional culture. Educational activities are also held to help pass these traditions on to future generations.
The Permanent Exhibition Room presents the history of the Hokkitsu area chronologically, from the Paleolithic period to the present day. Pottery, stone tools, and other objects used in ancient daily life illustrate changes in people’s lifestyles and the development of local culture.
The exhibits are arranged in an easy-to-follow format, making the room a useful introduction to the history of Hokkitsu for visitors who are discovering the region for the first time.
The Special Exhibition Room hosts exhibitions focusing on specific themes related to the history and culture of the area. The subjects vary from those covered in the permanent exhibition and may include traditional household objects, materials connected with sericulture, and agricultural tools.
The room provides an opportunity to explore historical materials closely connected with everyday life in the Hokkitsu area.
The Traditional Culture Learning Room offers hands-on activities that introduce traditional skills such as bamboo crafts and straw work. Workshops on making pottery and traditional New Year’s decorations are also held, allowing both children and adults to experience local culture through practical activities.
Through these programs, traditional skills and knowledge are passed on to younger generations while providing visitors with a more direct understanding of the region’s cultural heritage.
Within the museum grounds, Tachibana-no-Sato Park features a full-scale reconstruction of a Jomon-period pit dwelling known as the Komuro Shikiishi Dwelling Site.
The reconstructed dwelling gives visitors a tangible impression of the environment in which people lived thousands of years ago. Together with the indoor exhibits, this outdoor display makes it possible to imagine the daily life of Jomon communities in a more concrete way.
The combination of museum exhibitions and outdoor historical displays makes the site an engaging place to learn about the past while experiencing aspects of ancient life.
One of the major highlights of the Hokkitsu Historical Museum is its collection of artifacts excavated from the Dokunmae Site. Located on a plateau at an elevation of approximately 320–330 meters on the foothills of Mount Akagi, the site is known as a large circular settlement dating to the middle Jomon period.
Excavation surveys were conducted during fiscal years 1996 and 1997. Within an area of approximately 3,400 square meters, archaeologists identified the remains of 40 pit dwellings and 264 pits. These discoveries demonstrate that a substantial Jomon settlement once existed in the area.
A large quantity of pottery and stone tools was discovered at the site. Among the most notable is Yakemachi Pottery, characterized by four protrusions and intricate patterns covering the vessel’s surface.
This distinctive type of pottery is found within a relatively limited area extending from western Gunma Prefecture to eastern Nagano Prefecture. It provides important evidence for understanding the distinctive material culture of the region during the middle Jomon period.
Other discoveries include stone plates with three supporting legs, chipped stone axes, grinding stones, and earrings. These artifacts provide valuable information about the daily lives and cultural practices of Jomon communities.
The finds also suggest cultural exchange between the Hokkitsu area and other regions, including Niigata, Nagano, and southern Kanto.
Because of their high academic and historical value, 165 artifacts from the Dokunmae Site were designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan in 2007. Some of these precious artifacts are displayed at the Hokkitsu Historical Museum, where they serve as important reminders of the region’s ancient heritage.
Some of the artifacts from the Dokunmae Site have also been displayed internationally. They were included in the special exhibition “Dogu: The Power of Clay Figurines” held at the British Museum in London.
The exhibition played an important role in introducing Japan’s Jomon culture to an international audience and demonstrated the wider cultural significance of artifacts discovered in the Hokkitsu area.
The exhibition later toured Japan and the artifacts were also shown at the “Treasures of Ancient Japan: National Treasure Dogu” exhibition at the Tokyo National Museum, where they attracted considerable attention.
The museum is approximately 15 minutes by car from the Shibukawa-Ikaho Interchange on the Kan-Etsu Expressway.
From JR Shibukawa Station, served by the Joetsu and Agatsuma Lines, take the Nippon Chuo Kotsu Hokkitsu Circulation Bus on the North Route. The journey takes approximately 15 minutes. Get off at the Historical Museum bus stop, followed by a walk of approximately 2 minutes.
Hokkitsu Historical Museum provides an accessible introduction to the history of the area from the Jomon period and other prehistoric eras through to the present day. Its archaeological collections, traditional cultural materials, hands-on learning programs, and reconstructed Jomon dwelling offer many different ways to discover the region’s heritage.
For travelers interested in archaeology, ancient Japanese culture, and the history of everyday life, the museum offers an opportunity to explore the rich cultural heritage of Hokkitsu while learning about the communities that have lived at the foot of Mount Akagi for thousands of years.