Gozoku-yashiki-mura is a village type originated from the premises of local powerful families in the southern part of Tohoku district. The origin of the older ones of them goes back to Heian period (8-12 centuries), and in some places the sites of residence of still earlier period are well preserved. Many of the rulers of early days who were the heads of the mansions became the farmers later, and settled in this part of the country. Their ways of living are to be surmised by the remaining earthen walls, moats surrounding the mansions, family shrines and the like.The question is why this kind of powerful families could have survived through long ages in this particular district like a cultural fossil. It is partly explained by the remoteness of Tohoku district which enabled them not to be too much influenced by the changes in the center. It is also because the feudal lords of later period adopted the policy to take advantage of their influence over local people, so long as it was not against their own interests.We can surmise the development of rural settlement here, through the analysis of present aspects of such premises. These are the grounds some 55 X 55 meters large, surrounded by moats and earthen walls. Some of them are even larger, and near them there lived their hereditary retainers called Nago or Fudai. Besides the historical reasons, here to be noticed is the existence of conditions for the preservation of such a way of living. The general nature of landform here is a very gentle slope, which developed some local habits different from most parts of this country. Such are the habit of using stream water for drinking, and that to let the rubbish flow into the fields as fertilizer, by means of irrigation canals. These habits all put together, helped to make the disseminated village an economically favorable type of settlement.