Ae Kanga ruins

Overview

The Ae Kanga ruins are an archaeological site in the town of Kasuya, Fukuoka Prefecture, marking the remains of an Asuka-to-Nara-period government administrative complex. Believed to be the offices of Kasuya-kōri in Chikuzen Province, the site conveys the workings of ancient regional government and was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 2020.

Highlights

• ●Government office (kanga) ruins of Kasuya-kōri, Chikuzen Province
• ●An ancient site designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 2020
• ●Precious evidence of ancient regional administration
• ●A historic stage behind the enduring place name Kasuya

History

The Ae Kanga ruins are thought to be the administrative offices (kanga) of Kasuya-kōri in Chikuzen Province during the Asuka to Nara periods. The kōri was a unit of regional administration used before and into the ritsuryō system, a forerunner of the later gun (district). Such office remains are precious evidence of how the ancient state governed its provinces, and the site was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 2020.

Map

33.6144, 130.4585 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Travel from central Fukuoka to the Ae Kanga ruins in Kasuya by rail or car
2. 2Walk the extent of the site to sense the scale of the ancient offices
3. 3Learn about the kōri system of regional government from the signage
4. 4Afterward, explore historic sites and townscapes around Kasuya

Did you know?

💡 The word kanga refers to an ancient government office and its buildings. That the offices of Kasuya-kōri stood here shows the Kasuya area was a hub of regional administration in ancient times. The place names "Kasuya" that survive today derive from this ancient administrative unit.

Nearby spots