Piercing Traditions in Japan & the Ainu
Japan has one of the more surprising piercing histories in the world: it was home to one of the earliest ear-ornament traditions anywhere, then it largely abandoned the practice for centuries — even as the Indigenous Ainu of the north kept their own earrings alive until the practice was deliberately suppressed. It's a story of a tradition that appeared, faded, and survived at the margins.
Jōmon Japan: ancient ear ornaments
The Jōmon period — roughly 14,000 to 300 BCE — produced one of the oldest known ear-ornament traditions on earth. Archaeologists have recovered large numbers of ear ornaments from Jōmon sites, often found in pairs on either side of a skull, which is how researchers know they were worn in the ears.
Two main styles appear:
- The ketsu — the earlier style: a flat, ring-shaped stone with a slit cut into it, slipped onto the lobe.
- Clay spools — emerging in the Final Jōmon period, spool- or pulley-shaped clay ornaments worn through a pierced lobe. These became the most popular kind.
Some were small, but others grew remarkably large — up to 10 to 12 centimeters across. That size points to something familiar to anyone who knows modern stretched ears: these weren't slipped through a standard piercing. Evidence suggests lobes were first pierced around age ten, then gradually stretched over the years as the ornaments increased in size — clay being light enough to make that practical. The ornaments were worn mostly by women, and some were elaborate enough to be designated Important Cultural Property in Japan today. For more on how stretching worked across cultures, see our guide to the history of ear stretching.
The tradition fades
Here's where the story takes a sharp turn: after the Jōmon period, the custom faded. As Japan moved into the agricultural Yayoi era and then the centralized Yamato state, ear ornaments fell out of mainstream use. For long stretches of later Japanese history, pierced ears simply weren't part of the cultural picture, and earrings never returned to the prominence they'd held thousands of years earlier. Body adornment shifted toward other forms entirely.
It's a useful reminder that body-modification traditions aren't a straight line of ever-growing popularity. They rise and fall with culture, and Japan's mainstream lost one of the world's oldest.
The Ainu and the ninkari
While mainstream Japanese culture set earrings aside, the Ainu — the Indigenous people of Hokkaido and lands further north — kept a distinct earring tradition. The Ainu descend in part from those same Jōmon-era populations, and their material culture preserves some very old elements.
Their characteristic earring was the ninkari: a metal hoop, typically forged from brass, capped with a heavy decorative ball, worn through a pierced lobe. Ninkari were part of a broader set of Ainu metal ornaments that also included chokers (rekutunpe) and beaded necklaces (tamasai). Because the Ainu economy centered on hunting, fishing, and gathering rather than metalworking, craftspeople tended to adapt and rework existing metal trade goods rather than smelt their own.
Importantly, ninkari were originally worn by both men and women. Men on Hokkaido also wore smaller earrings, sometimes with tufts of red cloth attached. Over time the earrings became more associated with women, but the older tradition included everyone.
| Era / Culture | Key style | Materials | Who wore them |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jōmon period | Ketsu; large clay spools | Stone, clay | Mostly women (often heavily stretched) |
| Ainu people | Ninkari (hoops with a ball) | Brass, adapted metals | Both men and women, historically |
The Meiji ban
In the late 19th century, the Meiji government pursued aggressive assimilation policies aimed at the Ainu, targeting language, customs, and appearance. Among these measures, Ainu men were forbidden to wear earrings (and Ainu women were pressured to give up traditional tattooing). As a direct result, the male earring tradition fell out of use.
This wasn't a fashion shift — it was suppression of a culture by a state. The ninkari survived as treasured heritage objects and in women's ceremonial dress, and today they're recognized as part of Ainu cultural identity rather than something erased. Mentioning that history matters: the disappearance of Ainu men's earrings was imposed, not chosen.
For the wider arc of how piercing developed across human cultures, see our history of body piercing.
Frequently asked questions
Did ancient Japanese people pierce their ears?
Yes. During the Jōmon period (c. 14,000–300 BCE), people wore ear ornaments through pierced — and often stretched — lobes. It's one of the oldest known ear-ornament traditions in the world.
What is a ketsu?
A ketsu is a flat, ring-shaped stone ornament with a slit cut into it, worn on the earlobe. It was the earlier of the two main Jōmon ear-ornament styles, before clay spool-shaped types became popular.
What are ninkari?
Ninkari are traditional Ainu earrings — metal hoops, usually brass, capped with a decorative ball, worn through a pierced lobe. They were originally worn by both men and women.
Why did the Ainu stop wearing earrings?
The Meiji government banned Ainu men from wearing earrings during its late-19th-century assimilation campaign, and the male tradition fell out of use as a result. It was suppressed by policy, not abandoned by choice.
Why did earrings disappear from mainstream Japan?
After the Jōmon period, as Japan shifted to agricultural and centralized states, ear ornaments fell out of mainstream use and didn't return to prominence for most of later Japanese history.
This article is a general, respectful overview of cultural history and isn't a how-to. The traditions described belong to the cultures that hold them. For anything involving your own piercing, consult a reputable professional piercer.