AMS-dated archaeobotanical assemblages from hearth deposits of Middle Yayoi (fourth century bce–first century ce) cultural layers of the Maenakanishi site (36°09′N, 139°24′E) in northern Saitama Prefecture demonstrate that besides rice, foxtail and broomcorn millet were the most important staple crops during the second and first centuries bce. The reliance on less demanding dry-field crops at Maenakanishi and other Early to Middle Yayoi settlements in north-western Kanto and the Central Highlands in eastern central Japan contrasts with concurrent agricultural production in western and north-eastern (Tohoku) Japan, where rice cultivation generally dominated and millets apparently played a minor role. Two factors, which likely influenced this pattern, are the uneven density distribution and the cultural heterogeneity of indigenous non-agricultural Jomon populations during the formation and spread of the Yayoi culture (tenth/fourth century bce–250 ce) brought to the Japanese islands by farmers from the Asian mainland. In western Japan the spread of rice cultivation was likely promoted by low Jomon population densities. The higher importance of foxtail and broomcorn millet at Maenakanishi may be explained by cultural influence from the northern Central Highlands. Early agricultural communities in this region appear to have preferred these newcomer crops that required less labour and organisational efforts.

从中东弥生（第四世纪炉存款AMS-过时archaeobotanical组合公元前负一世纪CE）的Maenakanishi网站的文化层在埼玉县北部（36°09'N，139°24'E）证明，除了水稻，谷子和糜子分别在第二和第一世纪中最重要的粮食作物BCE。日本关东西北部关东西北部和中部高地的前中西及其他弥生早期和中部定居点对干旱需求较低的旱地作物的依赖与日本西部和东北部（东北）的同时农业生产形成对比通常占主导地位，而小米显然起着较小的作用。有两个因素，这可能影响了这种模式，是不均匀的密度分布和当地非农业人口绳纹的弥生文化（十/四世纪的形成和蔓延期间，文化异质性BCE -250 CE）由亚洲大陆的农民带到日本诸岛。在日本西部，绳纹种群密度低可能促进了水稻种植的普及。Maenakanishi中谷子和room子粟的重要性更高，这可能是由于北部中部高原地区的文化影响所致。该地区的早期农业社区似乎更喜欢这些新农作物，所需的劳动力和组织工作更少。