In the 18th century, with its purpose as religion investigation being attenuated, Shumon Ninbetsu Aratame Cho were used as basic documents for the check of the nation's population (census) and for the collection of taxes and so on.
18世紀になると宗教調査的な目的も薄れ、人口動態を確認し、徴税などのための基礎資料として活用されるようになった。