NAGOYA, Japan — Inspired by the challenges of ancient maritime navigation, Dr. Yousuke Kaifu embarked on an ambitious research project that has shed light on the migrations of early humans to the Japanese islands. His exploration began at an archaeological site in Okinawa, where artifacts indicated that people inhabited the area 30,000 years ago, arriving from both the north and south. However, the pathway of their journey remained a mystery to Kaifu, an evolutionary anthropologist at the University of Tokyo.
During the Paleolithic era, the technology available to these early travelers was rudimentary. “The fact that they could reach such remote islands with simple tools was intriguing,” Kaifu noted. With this in mind, he devised a plan for an adventurous journey: a 140-mile canoe expedition from Taiwan to Yonaguni, the closest island in the Ryukyu chain.
The Kuroshio current, one of the world’s strongest, posed a formidable obstacle for the team. Kaifu drew comparisons to Thor Heyerdahl’s historic 1947 Kon-Tiki expedition, which demonstrated that ancient peoples could navigate across vast oceanic expanses. However, to replicate this feat, Kaifu needed a functional vessel. Previous attempts to build rafts from traditional materials like bamboo and reeds proved too slow for the daunting currents.
“Through a series of challenges, we realized just how difficult this crossing would be. Yet, if those Paleolithic people succeeded, we felt there must be a way,” he explained. Eventually, the team constructed a dugout canoe from Japanese cedar and chose Wushibi Bay on Taiwan’s east coast as their launch point.
Interestingly, Yonaguni is not within the direct line of sight from Taiwan’s shore, though it can be spotted from nearby mountains. The research team believed that early migrants would have been aware of the island’s presence and the powerful Kuroshio currents, gained from their fishing experiences. The crew, consisting of five members, included professional paddlers but none who had undertaken such a journey without modern navigation techniques.
When the team set out, they faced grim weather conditions, with choppy seas and obscured stars. Relying on ancient navigation skills, they monitored the swell of the ocean to maintain their course. After 45 grueling hours of paddling amid fatigue and hallucinations, they finally sighted land—although somewhat anticlimactically, as they found the island by its lighthouse, rather than through their intended approach.
Reflecting on the experience, Kaifu recalled a moment of hope when dawn broke on the second day. “Seeing the clouds shift on the horizon gave us hope that land was near. It was a powerful connection to those ancient seafarers and their journey,” he said.
The research, completed in 2019 with support from various institutions, has culminated in the publication of two papers and a documentary detailing both the expedition and the complexities of ocean navigation. The findings suggest that early humans were capable of remarkable feats, using limited technology to achieve significant maritime exploration.
Kaifu emphasized the need to reassess perceptions of Paleolithic people, who are often mistakenly viewed as ‘primitive.’ “These individuals accomplished extraordinary maritime feats with the technology available at the time. Our experiments reveal the sophistication behind their journeys,” he stated.
Current understanding suggests that the maritime migration of Homo sapiens was driven more by intentional seafaring than accidental drifting. Kaifu’s team concluded that while the journey from Taiwan to Yonaguni was fraught with challenges requiring skill and a touch of luck, it was indeed feasible.
As Kaifu looks back, nearly six years after their ambitious departure, he reflects on the complexities of human migration. “Our maps often simplify this history with mere lines, but behind each line is an intricate story—crossing oceans embodies more than just geography,” he noted. This expedition offers a glimpse into the perseverance and ingenuity of our ancestors, reminding us of the adventurous spirit that defined their journeys.