Editing History of East Asia (section)

===Early Japan===
Japan was inhabited more than 30,000 years ago, when land bridges connected Japan to Korea and China to the south and Siberia to the north. With rising sea levels, the 4 major islands took form around 20,000 years ago, and the lands connecting today's Japan to the continental Asia completely disappeared 15,000 to 10,000 years ago. Thereafter, some migrations continued by way of the Korean peninsula, which would serve as Japan's main avenue for cultural exchange with the continental Asia until the medieval period. The mythology of ancient Japan is contained within the [[Kojiki]] ('Records of Ancient Matters') which describes the creation myth of Japan and its lineage of Emperors to the Sun Goddess [[Amaterasu]].

Ancient [[pottery]] has been uncovered in Japan, particularly in [[Kyushu]], that points to two major periods: the [[Jōmon period|Jōmon]] (c. 7,500–250 BC, 縄文時代 ''Jōmon Jidai'' ) and the [[Yayoi period|Yayoi]] (c. 250 BC – 250 AD, 弥生時代 ''Yayoi Jidai''). ''Jōmon'' can be translated as 'cord marks' and refers to the pattern on the pottery of the time; this style was more ornate than the later Yayoi type, which has been found at more widespread sites (e.g. around Tokyo) and seems to have been developed for more practical purposes.