Middle Jōmon era (c. 3500-2500 BCE) ceramics are characterized by elaborate decoration and many pieces seem more suited for ceremonial purposes than for eating or cooking. Unlike pots before c.5000 BCE., pots of the "Early" (5500-3500 BCE) and "Middle" Jōmon (3500-2500 BCE) eras are usually flat-bottomed, suggesting that they were used indoors and placed on floors.

This example, from the Tokyo area, is decorated with human faces and hands.