Journey Through Time: Paddling 200km from Taiwan to Japan in a Paleolithic Canoe – Battling Cramps, Fatigue, and Hallucinations

Dr. Yousuke Kaifu, an evolutionary anthropologist from the University of Tokyo, found himself pondering an ancient mystery while working on Okinawa. He discovered evidence that humans lived on the islands 30,000 years ago, but he wondered how they got there. “There are stone tools, but they don’t tell us the full story,” he remarks.

Kaifu was fascinated by the idea that these early humans made such a remarkable journey using only basic technology. To explore this, he organized an ambitious expedition: a 225-kilometer canoe trip from Taiwan to Japan’s Yonaguni Island. This trek echoed the famous 1947 Kon-Tiki expedition, which showed that cultures could traverse vast oceans.

The challenge? The original boats from that time no longer exist. Kaifu’s team experimented with building rafts from bamboo and reeds, but they were too slow against the powerful Kuroshio current. “We realized how difficult this journey was, yet early humans managed to cross. There had to be a way,” says Kaifu.

After several attempts, they built a stable canoe using Japanese cedar and chose Wushibi Bay on Taiwan’s east coast as their launch point. Interestingly, Yonaguni Island can’t be seen from the shore of Taiwan but can be spotted from its mountains, hinting that ancient navigators might have recognized it from afar.

On their expedition day, the weather wasn’t friendly. Choppy waters and cloudy skies made navigation challenging. They had to rely on ancient techniques to keep their route steady, much like Polynesian navigators did. Dr. Kaifu, accompanying the team on a support boat, noted the irony of watching from a safe distance.

The paddlers faced fatigue, cramps, and even hallucinations as they journeyed for 45 hours. Yet, they eventually spotted Yonaguni, albeit not in the classic way—by a lighthouse, rather than the island itself. Kaifu recounts a beautiful moment when the sun rose, illuminating the clouds and hinting at land. “It felt like our ancestors were guiding us,” he reflects.

In 2019, the team finished their journey, supported by several museums and crowdfunding. Recently, they published two papers detailing their adventure and the ocean’s unpredictable currents. Their findings suggest that early humans, often perceived as primitive, accomplished extraordinary feats with simple technologies.

Research indicates that maritime migrations began over 50,000 years ago. A 2017 Australian study suggested it could be even earlier. Kaifu’s work adds to a growing consensus that these journeys were intentional rather than accidental. The ocean crossing proved to be both a test of skill and an extraordinary feat of human determination.

As Dr. Kaifu reflects on their imperfect but enlightening journey, he emphasizes that human migrations tell complex stories, rich with human emotions and resilience. “Each migration is more than a line on a map. It’s about the people and their adventures,” he concludes.

This rediscovery of human exploration sheds light on our connection to the past. It reminds us that the journey to understanding our history is as profound as the achievement itself.

For more insights on migration and human adaptation, check out the National Museum of Prehistory.

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