The Hayato are groups of people that appear in written sources of the early Japanese state from the 7th century on and lived in the south of Kyūshū, the southernmost of the Japanese main islands. The archaeological record in this region shows some characteristics that are different from neighbouring and central Japanese regions. Altogether, Hayato are a fascinating research object between archaeology, history, myths and theoretical reflection.
Closely related to this historical entity is a prehistoric and ancient earthenware that is only found in South Kyūshū and vanishes in the course of the 8th century: the Narikawa pottery. The research project in the Nakadake Kiln Site Center sheds light on the process of local – or “Hayato” – disintegration and the integration into the Japanese state with its southern specifics.