National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties
of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan

　　These four maps sketch the development of the manor of Todaiji Temple in Echizen Province and Etchu Province in the Nara period (710–794). They had been originally kept in Todaiji Temple together with 17 sheets of the manor drawings for Etchu Province, Echizen Province and Omi Province, etc., which are now stored in the Shoso-in Repository.
　　On all the Maps of the Fields Pioneered by Todaiji Temple, checkerboard-like grids (jori) indicating the plots of land are drawn in the center and on each grid, the number, category and area under tillage of the lot are written in ink. In some of the maps, mountains, lakes and/or ponds are drawn and colored, but there are not very many pictorial descriptions overall. On the borders between the Todaiji Temple’s manor and other types of land, red lines are drawn and the letter “Border (堺)” is written in black ink at important points on the red lines. To the right of the grids are the title of the manor map and the gross area of the land. To the left of these are generally the date of creation and the signatures of the priests of Todaiji Temple and governors of the province (kokushi) of Etchu and Echizen Provinces.
　　They are valuable as historical material because the situation of the regional provinces in the Nara period can be seen.