This is believed to have been the most important area, not only in Yoshinogari village, but also in the whole nation-state around Yoshinogari. It is here that the dates for rice planting and harvesting, seasonal festivals and ceremonies, and the largest market is thought to have been established. It is where important meetings for matters of state are believed to have been held for the entire nation-state, and where prayers were offered unto ancestors. During the Yayoi period, it is believed that when people could not come to agreement on important issues, a high priest, with the special skill to communicate with the ancestors and god, was asked to intervene, and the decision was made in accordance with the received message.