Omori Shell Mounds

This garden commemorates the discovery of Omori Shell Mounds. In 1877, American zoologist Edward Sylvester Morse spotted something while gazing from the train on his way from Yokohama to Shimbashi. After excavations turned up layers of shells, animal bones, earthenware and stone implements, the place was named Omori Shell Mounds. Since this was the first academic excavation in Japan, it is called the birthplace of Japanese archaeology. Inside the park is a 1929 monument to the discovery, a bronze statue of Morse, and specimens of shell layers; you can learn about the site and the Jomon period. There is also a circular plaza where mist comes up for children to play. A five-minute walk from the North Entrance of JR Omori Station.