Kurube Country Office Ruins Park(Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture)

　Currently, it is remains of a ancient country office in a Kurube area in Yokkaichi city.

　The ruins are early Japanese country office. Since Asuka period, the aera of Kurube has belonged to administrative district of Ise country Asake district, and is now the site is the district office ruins.

　From Asuka period to Nara period(Late 7th to late 8th century), this office functioned as the country office of Asake district.

　An examination of ancient documents shows that Prince Oama(Later Emperor Tenmu) during Jinshin War(672) and Emperor Shomu visit to East Japan region(740), when this country office is used as a rest and lodging facility during the journey.

　It is a facility surrounded by walls in a rectangular shape with a main building called Seiden, and rectangular side buildings on the left and right called Wakiden. Also, warehouses for supplies behind the main building.

　Officers who oversee the entire Ise province such as Kokushi(Governor) were dispatched from the capital, but junior officers at the country office were mainly hired locally, including local influential people.

Restored Main Gate

　After Heian period(9th century), the functions of this country office declined.

　In Heian period, aristocrats living in capital mainly Fujiwara clan assumed real power.

　Each nobleman developed his own private estates as manors in various places. Manors are extraterritorial and are not subject to central government ordinances.

　The spread of manors overturned the premise of a "Political system based on Rituryo codes" in which the Emperor directly ruled all of Japan, which the rulers of the time had aimed from Asuka to Nara period.

　Along with this, the country office that administered Asake country lost its function as its role, changed to a storage and management base for agricultural products delivered from the local area to the capital.

　In place of the country office building, a number of "Shosoin(Storehouse)" buildings were built to store agricultural products.

　In addition to the Storehouses group that was located near the country office in Nara period, which a new Storehouses group was built east of the country office in Heian period.

　The remains of the moat that surrounded Storehouses group to protect it from fire were also excavated.

Storehouses group ruins in the East Country office

　Incidentally, in addition to the "Ruins" of Kurube Country office ruins, there are also other words "Relics" and "Remains."

　Relics refer to "Movable Property" such as swords and plates, while remains refer to "Real Estate" such as buildings and moats. That include these are referred to as ruins.