The Tokugawa Period: The Social Hierarchy Of Feudal Japan

“The Tokugawa period, also called the Edo period, (1603–1867), was the final period of traditional Japan and a time of internal peace, political stability, and economic growth under the shogunate founded by Tokugawa leyasu (Saldasis, 2011,p.214-215). Feudal Japan was a hierarchy with the Emperors and Shoguns settled at the top and the rest of the classes below, such as the Daimyo, Samurai, Peasants, Artisans and Merchants. During the Edo Era, Shoguns held and gained the most power over other social classes through their military, political and social power. In particular, they had power of over the army; they were able to make restrictions upon the Daimyo and also had the power to maintain a rigid social class, preventing people from moving castes.

Shoguns held the most power in the social hierarchy of Feudal Japan in the Edo Era due to their
They sought to produce social stability by imposing on the Japanese people a social order based on clearly defined and rigidly maintained class lines (Thomson, 2008). At the top of this social pyramid was the nominal ruler of Japan, the emperor, and his court nobles. Second in rank, but first in power and privilege, was the ruling samurai warrior class whose leader was the Shogun (Wilson, 1982,p.1525-61). Below the samurai were the common people who comprised, in descending order of status, rice farmers, craftsmen, artisans, fishermen, and finally, merchants. The Tokugawa Shoguns also demanded rigid conformity to orthodox values and habits of behavior (Greer, 2012,p.201). Another law that showed the power of the Shoguns was that they isolated Japan for over two centuries, as they saw no merit Western cultures. Therefore Shoguns held the most power in the Edo Era due to their ability to keep a rigid social structure in Feudal Japan from 1603