Nishi

Nishi lies along the western coast of southern Ezo, where mountains approach the Sea of Japan. At Kumaishi, Japanese settlers and Ainu lived in the same district, and a herring fishery grew along the shore. The Matsumae domain maintained a guard post on this frontier: travelers bound for Ainu country to trade or fish had to show permits obtained at Esashi. The post marked both a boundary of settlement and a place of exchange.