The effect of the Younger Dryas cold reversal on the survival of Late Glacial hunter-gatherers in the Japanese Archipelago is evaluated, through a synthetic compilation of 14 C dates obtained from excavated Late Glacial and initial Holocene sites (332 14 C dates from 88 sites). The estimated East Asian monsoon intensity and vegetation history based on the loess accumulations in varved sediments and pollen records in and around the Japanese Archipelago suggest an abrupt change to cool and dry climate at the onset of Younger Dryas, coupled with the Dansgaard-Oeschger Cycles as recorded in Greenland. The chronometric placement of sites based on an assessment of 14 C dates show that the site numbers decrease from the Bølling-Allerød to Younger Dryas and increase from the Younger Dryas to Preboreal. However, human population dynamics inferred from a site distribution analysis was little changed from the previous Bølling-Allerød and to the following Preboreal. Moreover, hunter-gatherers consistently employed ceramic pottery technology since its emergence prior to the onset of Younger Dryas, while the quantity of ceramic vessels that were undermined during the Younger Dryas dramatically increased at the onset of the Holocene, implying that a substantial change in hunter-gatherer socioeconomy occurred after the end of Younger Dryas.

In order to better understand modern human behavioral variability in Hokkaido, Japan, we consider the geoarchaeology of the Kamihoronai-Moi site in terms of its geochronology, stratigraphy, depositional environments, and post-depositional disturbances. A Paleolithic component is stratigraphically situated between the Eniwa-a (15,000-17,000 14 C yr B.P.) and the Tarumae-d (8000-9000 14 C yr B.P.) tephras. Moreover, six AMS 14 C ages on charcoal from a Pleistocene-aged hearth feature are between 14,400 and 14,800 14 C yr B.P. Quantitative examinations of patterns in artifact distributions show a low degree of vertical and horizontal displacement of chipped-stone artifacts, suggesting that post-depositional movement of the cultural material was insufficient to disrupt the original pattern of artifact distribution.

The wedge-shaped microblade core technology found along the northern Pacific Rim has been regarded as a trait of hunter-gatherer adaptation during the Late Glacial and initial Holocene. Having recognized variable microblade core reduction methods among the technocomplexes in Hokkaido, by employing an optimization model in lithic technology, the present paper addresses the question of what role bifacial microblade core technologies played in foraging, through a comparative analysis of utility, cost of transportation, and failure rates between the larger ("Sakkotsu") and smaller ("Oshorokko") bifacial microblade core technologies in the Late Glacial Hokkaido.Results suggest that as opposed to the larger bifacial microblade core technology, the smaller bifacial microblade core technology was more effective for exploring unpredictable environment across the northern Pacific Rim.

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