It is probable that in the process of the land-tax reform carried out by the Meiji government, some iriaichi (the common lands) lost their function and were divided into privately-owned lands that had access rights, and many of them were expropriated under the policy of the Meiji government, which promoted the registration of these as public lands if they had no proof of being common land.
明治政府の地租改正作業の中で、入会地が入会権を持つ諸個人の私有地に分割され、入会地ではなくなっていくこともあったし、また入会地であることの証明が無ければ官有地とするという明治政府の政策により、数多くの入会地としての里山が官有地として召し上げられたと考えられている。