A record in a mokukan (narrow, long, and thin pieces of wood strung together that were used to write on in ancient times) stored in Shoso-in Treasure Repository shows that in the Nara period, tengusa was sent to the Imperial Court from areas called Miketsukuni (literally, "land of royal provisions").
奈良時代、正倉院の木簡に記されている記録では御食国と呼ばれる地域からテングサを宮中に送った記録がある。