The settlement was surrounded by a trench, and a sekisho (barrier checkpoint station) was established near the bridge at the entrance, and hence it came to be called Kannai settlement ("Kannai" means "inside the checkpoint").
居留地は、掘割で仕切られて入り口にある橋のたもとには関所が設置されていたので、関内居留地とも呼ばれる。