Kuni no miyatsuko were appointed by and remained under the jurisdiction of the Yamato Court, but over time the position became hereditary.
[1][2] Kuni no miyatsuko carried kabane titles bestowed by the Yamato Court, commonly kimi (君) or atae (直).
[2] The kuni no miyatsuko continued to be appointed after the Taika Reforms, generally to the office of gunji (郡司).
[3] The kuni no miyatsuko were now in charge of spiritual and religious affairs, specifically the Shintō rites of each province.
The gunji position, however, was abolished with the establishment of the manorial shōen system in the early Heian period.