Nature of the town

Based on the results of the investigations, Kusado Sengen is considered as a commercial port town on the Seto Inland Sea. Many of the People in the town were engaged in commercial activities and manufacturing. These activities made some residents of the town very wealthy. However, it wan not a major port town like Onomichi or Tomo which were frequently mentioned in historic sources. It was probably specialized in local trades because the location of the town was somewhat secluded from the Seto Inland Sea and many place names mentioned in the wooden tablet inscriptions were located in neighboring areas. The town played the role of the local trade center. (Right: Wooden tablets mentioning commercial activities)

Until Kusado Sengen was excavated, this type of local town had been scarcely known. The investigations into the site have made a great contribution to the study of Japanese history.

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