Hiroyuki Sato

Academic Titles

Education and qualifications

• 1976-1982: The University of Tokyo, BA (Archaeology)
• 1988-1994: Hosei University, MSc and Dc Japanese History, D. Lit.

Academic Titles

• 2022-present: Emeritus Professor and Project Researcher, Center for Evolving Humanities, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo
• 2019-2021: Head of Department of General Culture, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo
• 2016-2018: Vice Dean of Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo
• 2007-2022: Professor, Department of Archaeology, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo
• 2003-2007: Associate Professor, Department of Archaeology, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo
• 1999-2004: Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Studies, Graduate School of Frontier Science, The University of Tokyo
• 1997-1999: Associate Professor, Tokoro Field Laboratory, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo
• 1982-1997: Senior Researcher, Tokyo Metropolitan Archaeological Centre

Academic Production

Publications as author

• Kunitake, S. and Sato, H. 2025 Encounters between the Southern and Northern Routes: Homo sapiens in the Japanese Archipelago: New Explanation about the Beginning of Japanese Upper Paleolithic.185p., Asahi-Shinbun-sha: Tokyo.
• Ikeya, N. and Sato, H. (eds.) 2020 Paleolithic in the Foothills of Mt. Ashitaka. 407p., Keibun-sha: Tokyo. (in Japanese)
• Sato, H. 2019 Palaeolithic: Beginning of Japanese Cultures, 247p., Keibun-sha: Tokyo. (in Japanese)
• Sato, H. et al. (eds.) 2016 Human Societies in the Late Glacial: Residential mobility and Behavioral Strategy. 276p., Rokuichi-Shobo: Tokyo. (in Japanese)
• Kaifu, Y. Izuho, M. Geobel, T. Sato, H. Ono, A. (eds.) 2015 The Emergence and Diversity of Modern Human Behaviors in Paleolithic Asia. Texas M & A University Press. 580p., College Station: USA.
• Sato, H. and Izuho, M. (ed.) 2014a Research on the Formation Process and Transfiguration of the Pleistocene Human Societies in the Northern Circum Japan Sea Area through the Obsidian Exploitation and Circulation (2). 251p., Tokoro Field Lab. Graduate Scholl of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo. (in Japanese)
• Sato, H. and Yamada, S. (ed.) 2014b Research on the Formation Process and Transfiguration of the Pleistocene Human Societies in the Northern Circum Japan Sea Area through the Obsidian Exploitation and Circulation (3)- Research on the Yoshiizawa site. 313p., Tokoro Field Lab. Graduate Scholl of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo. (in Japanese)
• Sato, H. (ed.) 2012 Research on the Formation Process and Transfiguration of the Pleistocene Human Societies in the Northern Circum Japan Sea Area through the Obsidian Exploitation and Circulation (1). 177p., Tokoro Field Lab. Graduate Scholl of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo. (in Japanese)
• Sato, H. and K. IInuma (ed.) 2011 Environmental History of Grassland. 333p., Bunichi-Sogo-Shuppan: Tokyo. (in Japanese)
• Sato, H. (ed.) 2011 Research on the Relationship between Human and Environmental Fluctuation in the Northern Circum Japan Sea Area in Late Pleistocene. 261p., Tokoro Field Lab. Graduate Scholl of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo. (in Japanese) Inada, T. and H. Sato (eds.) 2010a Paleolithic (1). Course of Japanese Archaeology series, vol. 1, 621p., Aoki-shoten: Tokyo. (in Japanese)
• Inada, T. and H. Sato (eds.) 2010b Paleolithic (2). Course of Japanese Archaeology series, vol. 1, 606p., Aoki-shoten: Tokyo. (in Japanese)
• Sato. H. (ed.) 2009 Research on the Settlement System and the Formation of Cultures in Transition from Pleistocene to Holocene in Northern Japanese Archipelago. 254p., Tokoro Field Lab. Graduate Scholl of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo. (in Japanese)
• Sato. H. (ed.) 2008 Human Ecosystem Changes in the Northern Circum Japan Sea Area (NCJSA) in Late Pleistocene. 145p., Research Institute for Humanity and Nature: Kyoto. (in Japanese)
• Sato. H. (ed.) 2008 The transformation of Jomonization. 210p., Rokuichi-Shobou: Tokyo. (in Japanese)
• Sato. H. (ed.) 2007 Seminar of Japanese Paleolithic Archaeology. 230p., Dosei-sha: Tokyo. (in Japanese)
• Anzai, M. and H. Sato (eds.) 2006 Regional Chronology of Japanese Paleolithic.Dosei-sha: Tokyo. (in Japanese)
• Sato, H. (ed.) 2005 Archaeology of Food Getting Societies. Asakura-shoten: Tokyo.
• Onuki, S. and H. Sato (eds.) 2005 Ethnoarchaeology of Russian Far East. Rokuichi-shobou: Tokyo. (in Japanese)
• Sato, H. (ed.) 2004 The Ogini Matagi. Nobunkyo: Tokyo. (in Japanese)
• Kanda, J. and H. Sato (eds.) 2002 Thinking of the Environment of Tokyo. Asakura-shoten: Tokyo. (in Japanese)
• Sato, H. 2000 Ethnoarchaeology of Northern Hunters. Hokkaido Publishing Project Centre: Sapporo. (in Japanese)
• Sato, H. (ed.) 1998 Hunting Cultures of Russia. Keiyu-sha: Tokyo. (in Japanese)
• Sato, H. 1992 Structure and Evolution of Japanese Paleolithic Cultures. Kashiwa-shobo: Tokyo. (in Japanese)

Publications as editor

• Sato, H. 2025 Environmental fluctuation in the Northern Circum Japan Sea Area in the Upper 
• Paleolithic and subsistence adaptation of prehistoric hunter-gatherers. In Kidong Bae, Jong-Yoon Woo, Ju-yong Kim eds., Current Studies of Diversity and Pattern in World Prehistory, pp. 144-151, Institute of Korean Prehistory.
• Sato, H. 2025 Recent research on the Early and Middle Palaeolithic in Japan: an overview. In Seyock, b., Barnes, G.L., Ikawa-Smith, F. eds., Revelations in Japanese Archaeology: Paleolithic Come-back, Island Interactions, Clasical Writings, pp.91-99, Archaeopress.
• Funaki, T., Sato, H., Korisettar, R., Shitaoka, Y., Noguchi, A., Nagasaki, J. 2022 New chronometric dating of Indian Middle Palaeolithic Sites at Juwalapuram, Andhra Pradesh, South India. Journal of Archaeological Studies in India, 2-2: 101-113.
• Sato, H. and Morisaki K. 2022 On the beginning of the Japanese Palaeolithic: a review of recent archaeological and anthropological evidence. Acta Anthropologica Sinica, 41(e):1 -18. (43(3): 470-487, 2024), IVPP: Beijing.
• Fukuda, M., Morisaki, K., Sato, H. 2022 Synthetic perspective on prehistoric hunter-gatherer adaptation and landscape change in northern Japan. In Cassidy, J., Ponkratova, I., and Fitzhugh, B. eds. The Maritime Prehistory of Northeast Asia, pp. 73-95, Springer.
• Tsydenova, N., Kunikita, D. Sato H., Onuki, S., Natsuki, D., Bazarova, V.B., Lyaschevskaya, M.S. 2022 Environmental conditions and the emergence of ceramics in the Late Pleistocene – Early Holocene at the Krasnaya Gorka site in the Transbaikal region, Southern Siberia. Quaternary International, 608-609:112-119. 
• Yamaoka, T., Sato, H., Mijares, A.S. 2021 Multi-faceted analyses of lithic artifacts from Callao cave in Northern Luzon (Philippines). Quaternary International, 596:93-108. 
• Morisaki, K., Oda, N., Kunikita, D., Sasaki, Y., Kuronuma, Y., Iwase, A., Yamazaki, T., Ichida, N., Sato, H. 2019 Sedentism, pottery and inland fishing in Late Glacial Japan: a reassessment of the Maedakouchi site. Antiquity, 93(372):1442-1459. 
• Sato, H. 2019 Pleistocene burials and cemetery: new discovery at the Shiraho-saonetabaru Cave Site, Ishigaki Island in the southmost Japan. In Nakamura, S., Adachi, T., and Abe, Y. (eds.) Decades in Deserts: Essays on Near Western Archaeology in Honor of Sumio Fujii, pp. 357-362, Rokuichi-Syobo, Tokyo.
• Natsuki, D. and Sato, H. 2018 Different special activity in the Late Glacial microblade site: a case study based on the Yoshiizawa site of northern Japan. In M. Saidin, Y-J. Lee, J-Y. Woo (eds.) Proceedings of the 23^rd Suyanggae International Symposium in Malaysia “Suyanggae and Lenggong: Prehistory Adaptation”, pp. 34-42, Penang, Malaysia.
• Sato, H. 2018 Three Paleolithic cultures in the Japanese Archipelago. In M. Saidin, Y-J. Lee, J-Y. Woo (eds.) Proceedings of the 23^rd Suyanggae International Symposium in Malaysia “Suyanggae and Lenggong : Prehistory Adaptation”, pp. 23-33, Penang, Malaysia.
• Morisaki, K., Kunikita, D. and H. Sato 2018 Holocene climatic fluctuation and lithic technological change in northeastern Hokkaido (Japan). Journal of Archaeological Science: reports 17: 1018-1024.
• Morisaki, K. Izuho, M. and Sato, H. 2018 Human adaptive responses to environmental change during the Pleistocene- Holocene transition in the Japanese Archipelago. In E. Robinson and F.S. Sellet (eds.) Lithic Technological Organization and Paleoenvironmental Change: Global and Diachronic Perspective, pp. 91-122, Springer.
• Izuho, M., Ferguson, J.R., Vasilevski, A., Grishchenko, V., Yamada, S., Oda, N., Sato, H. 2017 Obsidian sourcing analysis by X-ray fluorenscenece (XRF) for the Neolithic sites of Slavnaya 4 and 5, Sakhalin Islands (Russia). Archaeological Research in Asia, Elsevier. 
• Kunikita, D., Wang, L., Onuki, S., Sato, H., Matsuzaki, H. 2017 Radiocarbon dating and dietary reconstruction of the Early Neolithic Houtaomuga and Shuangta sites in the Song-Nen Plain, Northeast China. Quaternary International, 441: 62-68. 
• Sato, H. and D. Natsuki 2017 Human behavioral responses to environmental condition and the emergence of the world’s oldest pottery in East and Northeast Asia: an overview. Quaternary International, 441: 12-28. 
• Sato, H. 2016 Recent advances of the Japanese Lower and Middle Paleolithic research. In Proceedings of the International Symposium on the Paleolithic of Vietnam in a regional context. pp. 29-45, The Institute of Archaeology, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, Institute of Archaeology and People of Committee of Gia Lai Province, Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Vietnam.
• Iwase, A., H. Sato, Yamada, S. and D. Natsuki 2016 A use-wear analysis of the Late Glacial Microblade assemblage from Hokkaido, Northern Japan: A case study based on the Yoshiizawa site. Journal of Japanese Archaeology, 4(1): 3-28.
• Sato, H. 2016 Pleistocene to Holocene archaeology in the Japanese Archipelago: an overview. In M. Kornfeld, M.L. Larson, Y. Lee, J. Woo and M. Cory (eds.) Proceedings of the 21th Suyanggae and Her Neighbors International Symposium: Suyanggae and Hell Gap. pp. 170-181.
• Sato, H. 2016 Recent research on the Early and Middle Palaeolithic in Japan: an overview. Bulletin of the Society for East Asian Archaeology, 3, pp.29-35.
• Morisaki, K. and Sato, H. 2015 Hunter-gatherer responses to abrupt environmental change from the terminal Pleistocene to the early Holocene in the Lower Amur region. In S. Sázelová, M. Novák and A. Mizerová (eds.) Forgotten Times and Spaces: New Perspectives in Paleoanthropological, Paleoethnological and archaeological studies, pp. 418-434, reference pp. 549-598, Masaryk University & Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Science: Brono. 
• Morisaki, K., Izuho, M. Terry, K., Sato, H. 2015 Lithics and climate: technological responses to landscape changes in Upper Paleolithic northern Japan. Antiquity, 89-345: 554-572.
• Sato, H. 2015 Trap-pit hunting in Late Pleistocene Japan. In: Kaifu, Y. Izuho, M. Geobel, T. Sato, H. Ono, A. (eds.) The Emergence and Diversity of Modern Human Behaviors in Paleolithic Asia. pp. 389-405, Texas M & A University Press.
• Morisaki, K. and H. Sato 2014 Early Holocene human adaptation to abrupt palaeoenvironmental  change in the Russian Far East: for international comparative study. The Dolní Věstonice Studies, 20: 143-147. 
• Morisaki, K. and H. Sato 2014 Lithic technological and human behavioral diversity before and during the Late Glacial: A Japanese case study. Quaternary International, 347: 200-210. 
• Sato, H. 2014 Did the Japanese obsidian reach the Continental Russian Far East in Upper Paleolithic?. In Aeolian Scripts: New Ideas on the Lithic World Studies in Honour of Viola T. Dobosi, (eds.) T. Biró Katalin, M. András and P. Katalin Bajnok, pp. 77-91, Magyar Nemzeit Museum, Budapest.
• Sato, H. and Yamada, S. 2014 Intrasite variability of Oshorokko microblade industry in Yoshiizawa site in Hokkaido, northern Japan. In: A.P. Derevianko and N.I. Dorozdov (eds.) Topical issues of the Asian Paleolithic, pp. 153-158, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography Press: Novosibirsk. 
• Yakushige, M. and H. Sato 2014 Shirataki obsidian exploitation and circulation in prehistoric northern Japan. Journal of Lithic Studies, 1(1): 319-342.
• Izuho, M., J.R. Ferguson, M.D. Glascock, N. Oda, F. Akai, Y. Nakazawa, H. Sato 2014 Integration of obsidian compositional studies and lithic reduction sequence analysis at the Upper Paleolithic site of Ogachi-Kato 2, Hokkaido, Japan. In A. Ono, M. D. Glascock, Y. V. Kuzmin, and Y. Suda (eds.) Methodological Issues for Characterisation and Provenance Studies of Obsidian in Northeast Asia. British Archaeological Report, International Series 2620, pp. 125-142, Oxford. 
• Ferguson, J., M. Glasckock., M. Izuho, M. Mukai, Wada, K. and H. Sato 2014 Multi-method characterization of obsidian source compositional groups in Hokkaido Island (Japan). In A. Ono, M. D. Glascock, Y. V. Kuzmin, and Y. Suda (eds.) Methodological Issues for Characterisation and Provenance Studies of Obsidian in Northeast Asia. British Archaeological Report, International Series 2620, pp. 13-32, Oxford. 
• Wada, K., M. Mukai, K. Sano, M. Izuho and H. Sato 2014 Chemical composition of obsidians in Hokkaido Island, northern Japan: the importance of geological and petrological data for source studies. In A. Ono, M. D. Glascock, Y. V. Kuzmin, and Y. Suda (eds.) Methodological Issues for Characterisation and Provenance Studies of Obsidian in Northeast Asia. British Archaeological Report, International Series 2620, pp. 67-84, Oxford. 
• Sato, H. and Yakushige, M.2014 Obsidian exploitation and circulation in Late Pleistocene Hokkaido. In: Ono, A. and Yamada, M. (eds.) Lithic Raw Material Exploitation and Circulation in Prehistory: a comparative perspective in diverse palaeoenvironment. pp. 159-177, ERAUL, 138 (Études et Recherches Archéologiques de l’Université de Liège, Belgium).