In 1986, archaeological excavations were organized before the construction of an industrial park in the town of Chino at the site of the former hamlet of Tanabatake, located at the foot of the southern slope of Mount Kirigamine in the Yatsugatake Mountains, about northwest of Tokyo. This revealed the vestiges of a village of 149 houses, 146 of which date from the middle Jōmon period. The pieces of obsidian discovered at the site indicate that this village was a prosperous trading center. The figurine was found among the burial pits at the center of the excavation site. It was first named the Tanabatake Venus before acquiring its present name.