Shoenezu (a pictorial map drawn in order to clarify the territories and solve disputes caused by the (荘園絵図)
In the ancient and medieval periods of Japan, shoen (manor in medieval Japan) or feudal loads of the villages under the system of public lands and private estates, such as the great and powerful or the local jito (manager and lord of manor) set bounds on their territories (states) and insisted the justice of their domination over such territories.
Shoenezu is a pictorial map drawn for the above mentioned purpose or as a means of settling a concrete dispute arising therefrom. Close analysis of the shoenezu is not only one of the researching methods but also the subject of research for the ancient and medieval history of Japan in the category of historical geography, cartography and history. There is also historical theory-like research on it.