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Society

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Aristocracy

Emperor

Court Nobility (Kuge)

Are the emperor’s close aides; has high prestige but lost most of their political powers

Shogun

De facto leader of Japan
Officially, the Shōgun was a title for a prominent military general of the samurai class appointed by the Emperor with the task of national administration. In reality, the Shōgun was a military dictator with only nominal appointment from the Emperor who held the ultimate political power in Japan, controlling foreign policy, the military, and feudal patronage. The Shōgun was a hereditary position held by members of the Tokugawa clan who were direct descendants of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Daimyo

High-ranking members of the samurai
The daimyō were separated into the Shinpan, relatives of the Tokugawa, the Fudai daimyō, who filled the ranks of the Tokugawa administration, and the Tozama daimyō, those who only submitted to the Tokugawa after the Battle of Sekigahara.

Four Divisions of Society

Samurai

Noble warrior class, top of social hierarchy
Only class allowed to carry weapons, usually a short and a long sword.
They were specific clothes to differentiate them from the other classes: stiff-shouldered jacket, split-skirt pants, the hair in a special warrior’s topknot.
Samurai were paid a stipend from their lord, limiting their ties to the economic base. In addition, samurai could not own land, which would have given them income independent from their duty.
As warfare was practically nonexistent, some warriors became government administrators earning significant incomes while others worked in bureaucratic or other routine positions for which they were poorly compensated.
High social stratification. The hierarchy was according to the order of birth, the eldest son was always the next head of the family.

Peasants

They produce foods
They owned lands but were subjected to taxes by the local daimyo
Divided into landed and landless ones. The landless worked for the landed peasants. Both did communal work, such as building bridges, repairing roads, organizing festivals and managing communal lands.
Goningumi was the tax system they were subjected to. Except for that, the villages followed their own rules.
The local deity is the deepest source of village unity. Few villagers wished to leave their homeland, even people from neighboring communities were regarded as outsiders.

Artisans

Merchants

Monastics

Buddhist or shinto clerics

Often were responsible for maintaining and administering local temples and shrines
Usually married
Farmed and engaged in other village activities

Agata miko

Female shamans
Transmitted the voices of the dead or departed
Traveled throughout the land but go back to their provinces by the end of the year (they couldn’t spend the turn of the year somewhere else)
Often married to shinto priests or adopted by someone associated with a religious institution.

Untouchables

Burakumin/eta

People whose occupations are considered as impure or tainted by death
E.g. executioners, undertakers, slaughterhouse workers, butchers, tanners
the social stigma of being a Burakumin developed into a hereditary status
Although technically commoners, the Burakumin were victims of severe ostracism and lived in their own isolated villages or ghettos away from the rest of the population.
Outcastes by birth

Hinin

Outcastes as result of their professions
Their jobs were considered outside of the 4 pillar social structure. Included beggars, street performers, es, criminals and actors.

Unlicensed courtesans

Scattered throughout the cities in unofficial brothels, subject to police surveillance and repression

Licensed courtesans

The pleasure quarters were districts exclusive for them, they were not allowed to leave.
Divided into taiyuu (top courtesans) and tenshin (second best). Tenshin could be promoted to taiyuu and taiyuu could be demoted to tenshin.
The high-ranking courtesans often obtained fame for their beauty and musical skills, but most es had a tough life. They were ontrolled by the brothel owners and in general had been forced into ion out of poverty.

Geisha

Women refined in the arts who came into prominence from the pleasure quarters.
They danced and played the shamisen, a three-spring plucked lute, to entertain their customers.
Not necessarily es, but often had lovers and used their skills to please men.

Ronin

Samurai without lords, often demoted because of the peace of the period.
They were social outcasts and had no livelihood or stipend to depend upon.
Many pursued professions outside the warrior way of life, despite the humiliation of losing their social status.