P7+Artisans+and+Merchants

By: George A. and Jackson B. In Japanese society, artisans and merchants were denounced and fell at the bottom of the social ranking. Although they were thought of lowly, both artisans and merchants contributed a great deal towards the advancement of Japan. Many resources would not be available for sale and purchase like paper, tea, and silk if merchants had not been around. In Japan’s feudal time period, weapons were in large demand because of the war which lead to artisans prospering because swords and armor smithing is some of their crafts. During the Tokugawa Period, a time in Japanese culture where it had 200 years of peace because the country closed its doors, there was a strict social structure; Merchants, Artisans, Peasants, and Samurai (not including the Shogun and Emperor).
 * Artisans and Merchants of Feudal Japan**
 * Introduction**

Artisans were crafts people who made every day items and weapons. Artisans were the 2nd lowest class in Japanese social structure. Their low rank was not due to what they produced because they made great things of high value, but as art was not needed for survival; even peasant farmers were higher in social status. Although they held low social status, artisans or crafts people often became prosperous. One explanation for this was that warfare was widespread in feudal Japan and artisans were needed to supply the Samurai with the weapons needed for battle. Artisans created Samurai weapons including long swords, short swords, and iron arrow heads. As demand for their craft grew artisans moved to daimyo castles and became attached to one particular noble family to supply their weapons. As towns grew up around the daimyo castles the need for artisans increased. Their skills were needed to build and repair the cities, as well as supply the townspeople with basic everyday items such as clothing and tools. The most wealthy or affluent craftsmen were those who worked for the Shogun and the daimyo, and those connected with the building trades, the five crafts of the carpenter, plasterers, stonemasons, sawyers, and roofers. The sawyer cut the timber the carpenters needed; the plasterer covered the solid walls. The roofer used shingles or tiles; the stonemason was concerned with the platform that the building was on. In Nijo castle carpenters had designed special floorboards to act as a security system that made a chirp when stepped on to alert guards. Artisans became wealthy through the sales of their craft in markets or though selling their art to merchants.
 * Artisans**

Merchants were usually wealthy people who bought and sold goods that they themselves did not make. Although merchants were the wealthiest class in Japanese society, they were the least respected people in the social ranking system. Merchants were not well respected because people thought that they were like parasites. Confucian philosophy once expressed that Merchants are like parasites since they rely on other people’s products to make a living. Merchants, unlike Samurai, did not have a salary but they relied on their day’s trade to live off of. Merchants usually specialized in one product to sell, meaning that some would be tea merchants and others silk, etc. Paper, tea, silk, rice, charcoal, fuel, fish, salt, and horses are some of the goods that merchants bought and sold. An example of a tea merchant is in the book __The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn__ on page 4, where the main character’s father is a tea merchant from Osaka. Also an example from the book on page 6 shows that the main character is travelling in a Kago, a form of transportation available to only the wealthiest people like merchants. Because Merchants were thought of so lowly, they had separate forms and ways of entertainment and laws. Merchants were thought of so lowly that they were denied access to the same types of entertainment as higher ranking people. A popular form of entertainment issued by the merchant class is the kabuki theatre. The Kabuki theatre is famous for its revolving stage and great performances. Since no women were allowed to be on stage, men had to take the roles of ladies on stage by dressing up and acting their part. Because the play was meant only for merchants, higher classes were forbidden to see them. That rule was sometimes broken as samurais might have disguised themselves. Along with the Kabuki theatre, other forms of entertainment consisted of things like gambling and wrestling. The example of their own forms of entertainment amongst merchants demonstrates that they were largely independent and barred from the rest of society.
 * Merchants**

Merchants thrived in area called Castletowns which were towns that were built around a grand castle. When people came to Castletowns, merchants also came looking for business. As more and more people came to the Castletowns, more and more business was being done with the merchants and eventually, Castletowns were main centers for trade with merchants. Merchants didn’t just benefit but the Castletowns leader(s) also benefitted because the merchants were adding a stronger economy to the area. Merchants then went and spent their profit in “the Floating World”. The Floating World is a place where wealthy merchants could go and entertain themselves in the numerous bars and restaurants. The floating world was full of merchants so you would most likely be treated equal because the people surrounding you were the same class as you.
 * Castletowns & The Floating World.**

Artisans and Merchants were not the most honored people in Japan but they were a very important to Japanese society. Sword smiths were almost as important as some levels of Samurai, because if there were no swords there would be no protection and they would be vulnerable for attack from other countries. Also Merchants were very important because some things artisans cannot sell on their own like, paper, tea, and silk. If there were no Merchants some of these things would not be available to the public. This proves that even some of the least respected people can have some of the most important roles in society.
 * Conclusion**

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 * Citations**

Deal, William E. Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan. New York. Facts or file Inc. 2006

Dunn, Charles James, and Laurence Broderick. // Everyday life in traditional Japan //. London: Batsford [usw.], 1969. Print.

__ "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. <[].