An envoy from the Balhae Kingdom, who came to Japan taking the northern route, would visit the ancient capital Kyoto after lodging at the Noto no kyakuin (Noto guest house in the present Shiga-cho, Hakui-gun County, Ishikawa Prefecture) and the Matsubara no kyakuin (Matsubara guest house in the present Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture).
「北路」にて来訪した渤海使は能登客院（石川県羽咋郡志賀町）や松原客院（福井県敦賀市）を経由して都に上る。