Let’s Visit Historical Japan with Toukiden Kiwami Part 6 – The Age of Yore


Named the Age of Yore, the final battleground of Toukiden Kiwami journeys back thousands of years to Japan’s legendary founding.
(All game screenshots are owned by Omega Force and Tecmo Koei Games)


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The Age of Grace

The Age of Honor

The Age of War

The Age of Peace

The Age of Chaos

The Age of Yore

Ancient Japan: The Jōmon and Yayoi Period

Like the case for most civilisations, there are different stories regarding Japan’s founding. There are mythical legends. There are also anthropological, scientific theories.

The mythical version explains why Japan considers itself the Land of the Rising Sun. If you’re interested, I wrote modernised versions of these myths a while ago. You can read these here.

As for scientific theories, most modern experts believe that the Japanese archipelago was inhabited since prehistoric times. During the Jōmon Period (縄文時代) which lasted from BC 14,000 to BC 300, a hunter-gather culture thrived, one that reached significant levels of cultural sophistication.

The name of this ancient period, incidentally, also means “cord-marked,” having been derived from how pottery was decorated by impressing cords upon wet clay. Within video games, the Jōmon Period figurine, or dogū (土偶), is often used to represent the era. The dogū is in many ways, the most well-known face of that era.

Moving forward, at the end of the Jōmon Period, increased contact with the Asian mainland led to ancient Japan acquiring new methods of farming and metallurgy. This ultimately dawned the next historical era, the Yayoi Period (弥生時代).

Compared to the hunter-gathering Jōmon Period, the Yayoi Period is distinguished by new methods of pottery and intensive rice cultivation. Of note, the Yayoi period got its name from an archaeological site near Tokyo, and flourished from Southern Kyushu to Northern Honshu. Historians generally considered it Japan’s Iron Age era.

(More information about Japanese historical periods here)

Toukiden Kiwami Travel Itinerary 6: The Age of Yore

The Age of Yore is the last battleground to become accessible in Toukiden Kiwami, and could be a wee bit depressing at first sight.

Desert-like and rugged, it’s filled with caverns in which higher-level onis lurk. As the game describes it, much of the battleground feels as if it would soon sink into the sweeping sands too.

That doesn’t mean there’s nothing to enjoy, though, video game tourists! Archaeology enthusiasts would be delighted by the many examples of Japanese prehistorical architecture found here. To add to the ambience, immense dogū statues also loom beside these settlements, and right off the cliffs is the site of a massive burial complex.

While this battleground might not be the most relaxing to stroll in, it is certainly one of the most educational in the game. There is plenty to appreciate and learn from. Plenty of atmospheric “photo spots” too.

For a final time, your humble guide, me …

Toukiden Kiwami Rifle Weapon Gameplay
A second please, I need to snipe this.

Real-Life References

Jomon vessel in Tokyo National Museum.
Tokyo National Museum is an awesome treasure house of Jōmon Period artefacts.
Yoshinogari Site, Kyushu
The Yoshinogari Site in Northern Kyushu is the best location in Japan to learn about Yayoi culture.
Jōmon Period Clay Figurine.
A Jōmon Clay Figure. Shin Megami Tensei / Persona gamers would know this as Arahabaki. Mr. Physical Attack Repel.

Toukiden Kiwami: The Age of Yore Screenshots

Toukiden Kiwami - The Age of Yore Screengrab.
Our starting area. It’s a little depressing. But check out the swirling skies.
Toukiden Kiwami Wooden Torii
A quick note about the, erm, torii. This is historically inaccurate, and only here for atmosphere. Torii gates only appeared in Japan during the Heian Period.
Let’s Visit Historical Japan with Toukiden Kiwami Part 6 – The Age of Yore
Sculptures adorned by mythical rope are everywhere. FYI, the Jō in Jōmon means rope in Japanese.
Toukiden Kiwami Age of Yore Exploration.
Ah yes. Our reproduction of an ancient Yayoi Period Japanese village. We’d be enjoying a Fish BBQ Banquet here tonight.
Toukiden Kiwami Dogu Statue Head.
Our most popular photo spot in the Age of Yore! I’m sure you recognise that famous face!
Toukiden Kiwami Age of Yore Gameplay.
In Japanese culture, ropes are used to demarcate holy ground. Here, they surround an arena, where you could have some fun with our professional brawlers.
Toukiden Kiwami Age of Yore Boss Fight.
Again, such elaborate structures didn’t exactly appear during the Jōmon or Yayoi period. They are for ambience in this open-ground hunting facility.
Toukiden Kiwami PlayStation 4.
A sneak peep at our upcoming attraction! A full-size burial mount. What would be within? Mummies? Treasures? An unparalleled museum about the Kofun Period, the era that follow the Yayoi Period?

More Real-Life Japan References

Yayoi Bronze Mirror
Bronze mirror from the Yayoi period | Wikipedia
Shizuoka City Toro Museum Yayoi Period Worship Hall.
Yayoi Period Worship Hall at Shizuoka City Toro Museum | Source: Unmaokur

And that concludes our video game tourist tour of historical Japan! Once again, if you enjoyed this series, please consider getting a copy of Toukiden Kiwami!
Better still, have a holiday in Japan! Nothing beats seeing the actual sites, and imagining yourself battling onis within them.

Read my other Video Game Tourist posts.

Summary
Let’s Visit Historical Japan with Toukiden Kiwami Part 6 – The Age of Yore
Article Name
Let’s Visit Historical Japan with Toukiden Kiwami Part 6 – The Age of Yore
Description
The last Toukiden Kiwami battleground journeys thousands of years back in time to Japan’s founding, in the Age of Yore.
Author
Scribbling Geek
Scribbling Geekhttps://www.scribblinggeek.com
Geek, gamer, writer, movie lover, photographer, and occasional graphic artist. I like to consider myself a one-stop content creator of sorts. But the truth is, I obsess over too many hobbies.

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