The city where the emperor lived was called 'kami' and the Edo government defined Kinai, west of the Mikawa Province (the Yamato, Yamashiro, Settsu, Kawachi and Izumi Provinces) and Sanshu (the Omi, Tanba and Harima Provinces) as 'Kamigatasuji.'
天皇の住む都を「上」とする事から用いられ、特に江戸幕府は三河国以西の畿内（大和国・山城国・摂津国・河内国・和泉国）三州（近江国・丹波国・播磨国）を、「上方筋」と定義した。