Cultural Asset No.3
Upper Shinano River basin
Incipient Jomon Period artifacts
The sites of the period when pottery production began are concentrated in the upstream area of the Shinano River. Bottom-pointed pots, a feature of the Incipient Jomon period, are found among the artifacts of Himizo and Unoki Minami sites. The pots that date back about 10,000 years before the period of flame pots are decorated with cord marks.
Cultural Asset No.11
Sasayama Site Artifacts
Many flame pots, crown-type pots, stone tools and clay figures were excavated from this large village. The materials indicate the characteristics of the flame pot culture in the upstream part of the Shinano River basin. A group of excavated items including the flame pot named as "Jomon Snow Flame" were designated as both the first national treasure in Niigata Prefecture and also the first of the Jomon pots to be a national treasure.
Cultural Asset No.27
Sasayama Site
A large Jomon settlement site that existed for about 1,000 years through the middle Jomon to the early phase of the late Jomon period. This is a typical settlement in the Shinano RIver middle basin with pit dwellings located in circle or a horseshoe shape surrounding a ritual plaza. Some pit dwellings of the flame pots period are reconstructed creating the Jomon appearance.
Cultural Asset No.41
Tashirono Nanatsugama
Seven waterfalls formed along the mountain stream sprung from the Naeba mountain system that feeds into the Shinano River. The scenic view unchanged from the Jomon period is a rare terrain with vertical columnar joints on the left bank and horizontal columnar joints on the right. Waterfalls and pools continue for about 1 km.
Cultural Asset No.42
Kiyotsu Gorge
The magnificent scenery was created by the Shinano River and the Kiyotsu River. The large V-shaped valley with a quay standing across the river is the primary landscape of the Jomon period. This area is one of Japan's three great gorges. The topography of columnar joints seen from the valley tunnel is undisturbed nature, and the area is also a treasure trove for academic works.
Cultural Asset No.49
Bijinbayashi
This beech grove remains on the upper part of the Shinano River. You can feel the Jomon atmosphere here. The beech trees were once cut down in the early 20th century, and started to grow again all at once. Because of the beautiful appearance of these trees, they were named Bijin (beauty). The woods show their beauty not only with fresh greenery and autumn leaves but also with snow.