Foreigners in Japan: Don't do this. Don't popularize it. It is potentially illegal. The video is unlisted atm, but I still want to discuss why you shouldn’t do this and introduce some basics of cultural property law in Japan below. /1

“Buried cultural properties" are lost items in Japan. Even when archaeologists excavate, artifacts are reported to the police and time must pass to allow for someone to claim them (Note: the video mentions the artifacts will be taken to a museum, which is the best practice.)
/2

Not reporting items to a cultural properties specialist/police is considered a **theft**. And after the wait (3 months), those artifacts become the property of the prefecture. So, keeping finds is stealing from the state. I hope all those pieces were turned in! /3

Finally, permission from the prefecture is required to dig for artifacts on public land in Japan. The government is very selective about it. FYI, the dams around Hanamaki are run by the prefecture, which means this is likely public land. I really should’ve started with this…. /4

A few more things. Japan isn’t like North America in that it doesn’t have the same history of hunting for arrowheads and other artifacts (which is problematic in its own right). Any logic and videos based on it are steeped in colonialism. More on that below. /5

Side note 2: If you don’t know how archaeology is practiced in a different country, don’t come for archaeologist publicly. One collaborator faulted the specialists and reinforced this take in the comments to establish some moral high ground. Statements like that have impact. /6

TLDR: report finds to a local Buried Cultural Properties Center and don't go digging for fun.

(Since it came up in the comments: there is the potential that the site could be significant, so be wary of claims to the contrary if they aren't made by a professional.) /5

That said, I encourage an interest in Japanese archaeology. If you'd like resources for getting involved in archaeology in Japan, let me know. I’ve been working on a video series and topics like this will be on the list. (I'm too ashamed of the beta to drop it here). /7

Finally, a huge thanks to @archaeojapan for bringing the video to my attention and having the patience to reach out to those involved in its production. I’m interested in reactions from the archaeology community in Japan. #考古学 #縄文土器 #花巻市 #archaeology #Japan /8