It is thought that Kyoto nanakuchi were originally set as entrances to the roads connecting Kyoto and seven circuits, and are said to be the Oohara entrance (the Ohara Entrance, the Yase entrance: the Hokuriku road), the Kurama entrance (the Izumo road entrance), the Awata entrance (the Higashi-sanjo entrance: the Tokai road), the Fushimi entrance (the Uji entrance, the Kohata entrance: the Nankai road), the Toba entrance (the Saikai road), the Tanba entrance (the Nishi-shichijo entrance, the Shichijo entrance: the Sanin road) and the Nagasaka entrance (the Tanba road); however, this theory came about after the Edo Period and when such checkpoints had been abolished, so there are doubts surrounding whether these are historical facts.
京都七口は元来、京都と七道を結ぶ街道の入口として設置されたと考えられ、大原口（小原口・八瀬口→北陸道）・鞍馬口（出雲路口）・粟田口（東三条口→東海道）・伏見口（宇治口・木幡口→南海道）・鳥羽口（→西海道）・丹波口（西七条口・七条口→山陰道）・長坂口（→(丹波道)）の7つと言われているが、これは関所が廃止された江戸時代以後の説で史実に即しているのか疑問を持たれている。