Ancient peoples of Japan

historical period of Japan

thumb|Tsuchigumo, from Bakemono no e scroll, [[Brigham Young University]] is a historical Japanese derogatory term for renegade local clans, primarily during the Asuka, Nara, and early Heian periods, and also the name for a race of spider-like in Japanese folklore. Alternative names for the historical groups include , and for the mythological Tsuchigumo, and . In the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, the name was phonetically spelled with the four kanji (for the four morae tsu-chi-gu-mo). References to "tsuchigumo" appear in the chronicles associated with Emperor Jimmu, Emperor Keiko, and Empress Jingū

generic name of people who lived in the Japanese archipelago during the Jōmon period

ancient ethnic group and ancestors of the Japanese people