Hotta-no-saku

The Hotta-no-saku ruins (払田柵跡, Hotta-no-saku iseki) is an archaeological site containing the ruins of a large-scale Heian period josaku-style fortified settlement located in what is now part of the municipalities of Daisen and Misato in the Tōhoku region of Japan.

In 1902, farmers discovered the remnants of a large wooden palisade in rice paddies near the border of Misato in Akita Prefecture.

Over 200 almost intact fence posts with a diameter of 30 centimeters (12 in), and a height above ground of 3.6 meters (12 ft) were discovered, most of which was subsequently burned for fuel or processed into geta wooden clogs.

In the center of the enclosure was the ruins of an inner fortification, containing the pillar foundations for what appears to be an official administrative complex.

The site has been preserved as an archaeological park with some reconstructed buildings, and is located approximately 20 minutes by bus from the JR East Ōu Main Line Ōmagari Station.