In the waterlogged soil of the Karako-Kagi site, Japanese researchers have found a cache of highly decorated wooden hoes and planting sticks dating to the Yayoi Period (300 BCE – 300 CE). Unlike standard agricultural tools, these implements are carved with sun motifs and crane figures, indicating they were reserved for Otaue—the ritual transplanting of rice seedlings intended to appease the field deities.
The find provides the earliest physical evidence for the communal festivities that eventually evolved into modern Shinto agricultural festivals. Dr. Kenji Sato, the lead researcher, explained that the location of the cache suggests a dedicated 'sacred field' was maintained within the settlement, where the community would gather for music, dance, and ritual planting to ensure a bountiful harvest.