Originally, it was a facility in which only priests lodged, but during the Heian period, in which it became common to visit temples, they started to let nobility, samurai and even general visitors lodge, and managers began to change from priests to half-priest and half-common managers (onshi) in relation to particular temples.
本来は僧侶のみが宿泊する施設であったのだが、平安時代の寺社参詣の普及により、貴族や武士、更には一般の参詣者も宿泊させるようになり、運営者も僧侶から寺院周辺の半僧半俗の経営者（御師）に移っていった。