The kuni ezu are standardized provincial maps compiled by order of the Tokugawa shogunate in Edo (present-day Tokyo). The first order came in 1606, three years after the shogunate was established, and was followed by orders for revisions in 1636, 1649, 1702, and 1838. The daimyō (territorial nobles who ruled over vast private land holdings and large numbers of vassals) were to survey areas under their administrative control and submit maps to the government along with rice-yield registers. These official maps eventually became widely available to the public, and a large number of copies were published from the 18th century. Hand-drawn maps, such as this manuscript depiction in watercolor and ink, were less available to the general populace than printed copies. This map depicts the Yamashiro Province, in Kyoto Prefecture, where the imperial capital had been located, with north oriented to the left. The yellow area in the center marks the area of the imperial palace and the surrounding main streets. Village names are written in oval labels color coded by district. Roads that lead beyond the province are marked as well.