Territorial lords in Japanese history were not like those under the serf system in Europe who owned the land and people in his or her territory as his or her private property without any restrictions, but possessed a system of certain rights and responsibilities concerning tax-collecting and territory-control.
日本の歴史上の領主はヨーロッパの農奴制における領主のように無制限に所領の土地と人民を私有財産として所有したのではなく、徴税権・支配権にかかわる一定の権利義務の体系を所持した存在であった。