Das Hokkaido Universum
With this documentary you will experience research into the ancient cultures on the northernmost island of Japan as the climate and natural environment have changed since the Ice Age
May 31, 2021
Das Hokkaido Universum
Image Credit: DAI
Life between three seas
Hokkaido is not the place where the popular little orange pumpkin grows, but the Japanese island in the North Pacific whose inhabitants switched from hunting big game on land to exploiting the rich resources of the sea about 12,000 years ago. And started making pottery. The Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean have surrounded the island since the end of the Ice Age. Fish, seals and whales, algae, mussels and sea urchins – they have been people's livelihood for thousands of years.
They obtain the material for their houses and clothes from plants and have developed special techniques for this. In an ultra-modern present, old and new are linked to form a life that is strange, unbelievable and astonishing for Central Europeans. A lot is still undiscovered, unexplored. Will archaeologists succeed in preserving the sites and ancient knowledge before our turbulent times destroy them irretrievably? The book and film show the ephemeral beauty of Hokkaido's landscapes, but above all the richness of its cultural heritage and the inventiveness of its residents.
With this book and documentary you will experience research into the ancient cultures on the northernmost island of Japan in the changing climate and natural environment since the Ice Age: Jomon, Okhotsk and Ainu. Modern and surprisingly traditional, the residents of Hokkaido combine past, present and future.