Hachimanbayashi Government Office Site
The Hachimanbayashi Government Office Site (八幡林官衙遺跡, Hachimanbayashi kanga iseki) is an archaeological site consisting of the ruins of an Asuka period jōsaku-style Japanese castle located in what is now of the city of Nagaoka, Niigata in the Hokuriku region of Japan. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1995.[1]
八幡林官衙遺跡 | |
 .svg.png){kind=icon} Hachimanbayashi Site  Hachimanbayashi Government Office Site (Japan) | |
| Location | Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan |
|---|---|
| Region | Hokuriku region |
| Coordinates | 37°34′47″N 138°45′28″E |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Founded | Asuka period |
| Site notes | |
| Ownership | National Historic Site |
| Public access | Yes |
Overview
In the late Asuka period, after the establishment of a centralized government under the Ritsuryō system, the Yamato court sent a number of military expeditions to what is now the Hokuriku region extend its effective control further north and to subdue the local Emishi tribes in the area.[2] At the time, Echigo was still part of ancient Koshi Province, and per the Nihon Shoki, in 647 AD, Fort Nutari (渟足柵, Nutari no saku), a fortified government outpost with an earthen rampart surmounted by a wooden palisade, and protected by a dry moat was established.
From 1900-1991, on a small hill a short distance south of Ojimaya Station, the outlines of a structure as was described in the Nihon Shoki was discovered, and numerous wooden tags with markings indicating that they belonged to the "Nutari no saku" and to the "Provincial capital of Koshi" were found.
References
- "八幡林官衙遺跡" [Hachimanbayashi kanga iseki] (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs.
- Shively, Donald H.; McCullough, William H. (1999). Cambridge History of Japan vol. II (p.31f.). Cambridge University Press.