Errata

The Search for Japanese Origins by James M. Chandler

The teams are focusing their efforts on testing several theories. One is the Dual Structure model of the peopling of the Japanese archipelago, first proposed in 1990 by Kazuro Hanihara, professor emeritus of the University of Tokyo, which explains the intricate relationships among inhabitants of the Japanese main islands, of the Ryukyu Islands (Okinawans), and the Ainu by two waves of migration, one from Southeast Asia in the Paleolithic, and a second from Northeast Asia starting in the Neolithic. (See sidebar.) Also under scrutiny is the Ocean Road hypothesis of Kunio Yanagita, the founder of Japanese folklore. His 30-year-old theory argues that rice and rice-based cultures, which are central to understanding Japanese culture, were introduced from Southeast Asia by way of the Ryukyu Islands. Although final results of the project have not been released, Omoto reports that new data from various fields of research are challenging both theories.