P6+Moore+Artisans+and+Merchants

Tyler H. and Sydney B.

 * __Trading__**

Trading in Japan was a big job and a lot of people relied on trading. Some made money off it like Artisan’s because their goods were being sold and Merchants who were the ones who sold the goods and traded them. The Merchants traded the goods from one country to another, which mean they either had to be transported on land or sea. Oceans were big trading routes but these dangerous seas made travel perilous. But these waters made Japan safer from any foreign invasions. . Goods like lacquerware, sword blades, copper, sulphur silk, books, and other high valued items were ones the Japanese exported to other countries. Ships go in and out of Japan's trading routes but some countries like to limit their trading because of the risk of losing their valuable goods in the seas. Some Merchants will travel on foot to get to places to trade their goods but some prefer to be carried by kago or other means of transportation. In some countries you may need passports to get in and out too so this made trading harder and harder. In the book __The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn,__ Seikei and his father traveled to different cities to offer and trade their tea for money and other goods.


 * __What Artisans Did for a Living__**

Artisans were the ones who made the things that people in Japan and China owned and wore. Artisans' work was most recognized or important to the rich. Artisans could be carpenters or builders of houses and other makers of things, for example they might make paintings, swords, clothing, daily used items that include metal and papers or fabrics, houses and buildings. Artisans were also known as craftsmen who made many things for many needs. Artisans were ranked second lowest in the bafuku, the lowest being Merchants. Artisans were taught their skills at very young ages so they would excel in them when they got older. Like Merchants, if you were born into a family of artisans you would probably keep the tradition and take up your dad’s job. Both Artisans and Merchants increase agriculture production and also increased the economic developments. Artisans were a huge part of Japan’s society and the things that they did made a big difference in everyone’s life.


 * __What Merchants Did for a Living__**

Merchants didn’t make goods themselves and so they obtained their goods from artisans and took them out on the road and sea to sell them. Their job was selling goods to different people in different countries. In society they were part of the chonin class or townspeople. If you were born into a family of merchants, you were destined to become one yourself. Merchants sometimes travel in kago and most merchants only sold one thing. Almost everything that people had were made by Artisans and sold by Merchants, so without them, they would have had close to nothing. The Merchants role in society was trading so without them there would be no trade in Japan. Even though people didn’t notice, they were a huge part of daily society and their lives! Merchants also supported Edo’s prosperity though they were bottom in society because they didn’t produce anything but instead traded goods for money. Merchant's class was growing in size, wealth, and power back through 1603- 1868. Throughout the Tokugawa period, merchants were disliked and increasingly feared by authorities. Merchants were traders and prospered in feudal Japan. They were never very concerned of anything. They provided goods for people living in cities and some overseas. They spent their money foolishly and were known poorly because they were known to live off of others and made no products of their own. Seikei’s father was a merchant but merchants were very wealthy, sometimes wealthier than Samurai. Seikei was traveling with his father and he learned that merchants were almost cheaters, and that is why they were so poorly looked at.


 * __ Social Class Relations __**

The social class was sort of seen as a tent. The bafuku ("tent" government) consisted of all of the different classes. The acronym was SPAM, which stood for Samurai, Peasants, Artisans, and Merchants. Samurai-the highest in respect and rank-came at the top. They were warriors that were willing to die for their master. Then came Peasants. This class was 80% - 90% of the population. They were made up of workers who worked for their lord, and had the least money and least power. Next, came Artisans. These could be swordmakers, carpenters, smiths, or embroiderers, among others. One of their main jobs was to supply products and goods to merchants to sell. Lastly, came merchants. They were the least respected members of society. They were purveyors of goods and products to the average person. Merchants sometimes had a tough time getting people to buy their goods because some did not even want to be //seen// with a merchant, let alone buy or trade with one! Artisans, on the other hand, were not affected in a big way by the social class because they would make their products, then sell them to merchants, then repeat the process. All in all, it depends on what your occupation is to know whether or not you will be affected by the social class.


 * __ How the Social Class Affected Trade __**

3% of all of the population of Japan were merchants and artisans. 70% of all of these lived in nagayas. Nagayas were rows of houses. They were about 9.8 cubic meters and had lanes in between. It was not uncommon to find restrooms, wells, and dumps in the nagayas. There were ditches in the center of the lanes as well. Lots of merchants sold their goods in the lanes of nagayas. This was also where women would chat and children would play. Some wealthy artisans and merchants, however, would not live in nagayas. According to ruling powers, the higher ranked that you are, the closer that you live to the castle. Most of the time, these "higher ranked" people were the samurai. In some cases, however, very rich merchants would sometimes obtain the privilege of living so close.

**__Stereotypes and Characteristics of Artisans and Merchants__**

 One of the first stereotypes that people think of when thinking of merchants is that they are foolish. It is also thought that they waste their time on random things. Contrary to these statements is the motto of merchants which is ""work hard and do not waste time or money on irrelevant pursuits." It was believed that they were dirty people that only made their money off of others. They were not dirty people, especially with a motto like the one they have. Though it is true that they only make their money off of others, that is not necessarily a bad thing. Everybody makes money either off of a company or off others. How else would one obtain money? Almost all of the stereotypes made about merchants have been completely contrary to the motto. There are surprisingly little opinions or stereotypes made about artisans. Some might consider them the "under-the-radar" profession that no one acknowledges.


 * __Citations __**

Information on Merchants in Feudal Japan Class Handout

Deal, William E. __Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan.__ New York: Facts on file inc. 2006.

__Life in the Floating World: Ukiyo-e Prints and the Rise of the Merchant Class in Edo Period Japan. __National Endowment for the Humanities. 24 Dec 2004. 26 March 2009. "Merchants." //ThinkQuest//. Oracle Foundation. Web. 19 Mar. 2012. .

"09p6.Artisans And Merchants." //SlideShare//. Web. 19 Mar. 2012. .

<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Thinkquest Team. Merchants and Craftsmen. The Castles of Japan. Thinkquest Team. 2000. Web.

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