Vessel, 300s BC. Pottery existed for thousands of years in Japan before the Yayoi period, but the development of wet rice agriculture and permanent settlements by previously nomadic communities changed its form significantly. Yayoi period pots were aimed more at long-term storage than those from prior millennia. Their smooth, unadorned surfaces and round shapes also reflect the style of contemporaneous works from the Korean peninsula, indicating the strong ties between Japanese communities and Korean kingdoms at the time.