In addition to Kyoto's city governance, in order to exercise rule over tenryo (bakufu-owned land) in the Kinai region (the five capital provinces surrounding the ancient capitals of Nara and Kyoto) and shrine and temple lands, the post involved serving concurrently as three kinds of bugyo: jisha-bugyo (magistrate of temples and shrines), kanjo bugyo (commissioner of finance), and machi bugyo.
京都町政の他畿内天領および寺社領の支配も行うため、寺社奉行勘定奉行町奉行の三奉行を兼ねたような職務であった。