When the excavation was started, Kokufu was thought to be a miniature of a capital in the central government such as Heijo-kyo (the ancient capital of Japan in current Nara) and Heian-kyo (the ancient capital of Japan in current Kyoto).
発掘が始まった当初、国府は平城京や平安京のような中央の都城の縮小版と考えられていた。