Before the twelfth century when bushi (warriors) came into power, there was no distinction among the estates, and shoen and shoryo belonged to honjo (owner of shoen), who has shomuken (administrative power and jurisdiction in shoen), were called 'honjo ryo' (patronage properties) of the corresponding ryoshu (estate proprietors; the court nobles, temples and shrines).
武士が政治的権力を持つ12世紀以前にはこうした区別は存在せず、荘務権を持つ本所に属する荘園・所領を該当する領主（公家・寺社）の「本所領」と称した。