National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties
of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan

Nagaya Ō Ke Mokkan (Wooden Documents from Prince Nagaya's Residence) is a provisional name given to a set of tablets unearthed in 1988 from pit SD4750. The dates mentioned on these documents range from the 8th month of 710 to the 12th month of 716. One of the documents, a message issued by the Bureau of Court Music requesting a dancer sent to the court from Prince Nagaya's household, was critical in establishing the connection between the site and the prince.
The tablets from the prince's residence are of high value because they provide unique insights into how the household of a high-level aristocrat was managed during the formation of the ritsuryō state, thus revealing much about the socioeconomics of early Japan. Furthermore, the tablets also document the adaptation of Chinese characters in the country.
Wooden Documents from the Second Ward of the Third Row Avenue inside the Left Capital of Nara contains two sets of documents related to Prince Nagaya’s residence: (1) a set of tablets from the same site, but not originating from pit SD4750—including tablets that date after the death of the prince; and (2) several tablets related to the household unearthed from ditch SD1525 belonging to a historical garden located south of the residence. (The latter are believed to have floated down the Komo River.)