The post was made official in 1617, but except during the Shimabara Rebellion, never took part in major warfare and began to focus on surveillance of shogunate administrators such as ongoku-bugyo (the collective name of the magistrates placed at important areas directly controlled by the government in the Edo period) and daikan (governors) who executed shogunate policy in remote locations along with metsuke (inspectors).
元和(日本)3年（1617年）に定制化されたが、皮肉にもその後島原の乱以外に大規模な戦乱は発生せず、目付とともに遠国奉行や代官などの遠方において職務を行う幕府官吏に対する監察業務を担当する事となる。