Order through law and institutions
In 1603 Tokugawa Ieyasu became shogun and set up his government in Edo (today's Tokyo). The emperor stayed in Kyoto with a ceremonial role. The country was ruled in two layers: the shogun's own lands and offices (the bakufu), and about 260 domains (han) run by daimyo. This mix is called the bakuhan system.
The shogunate used laws to keep order. Rules for the warrior houses told daimyo not to build new castles or make marriages without permission. Rules for temples and for the court kept every group in its place.
Four status groups
Society was grouped by job: samurai (rulers and officials), farmers (who grew the rice that paid taxes), artisans and merchants. Samurai had the right to carry two swords. Farmers paid most taxes in rice. The groups were not equally rich: some merchants were very wealthy, and many samurai were short of money. Some people, such as outcast groups, stood outside this scheme and faced extra hardship.
Alternate attendance
Sankin-kotai forced each daimyo to spend alternate years in Edo, and to leave his wife and children there all the time. The shogun kept watch on every lord, and the lords spent a great deal on journeys and Edo houses. The long roads grew rich with inns and towns.
Controlling outside contact
The state kept foreign contact narrow: trade took place in a few places such as Nagasaki, with the Dutch and Chinese, plus Korea and the Ryukyu kingdom through other gates. This helped keep peace at home.
Industry, famines and uprisings
Peace and new roads let the economy grow. Farmers cleared new fields, used better tools and fertiliser, and grew cash crops such as cotton, rapeseed and mulberry for silk. Craft workshops made cloth, paper, sake and pottery. Big towns like Osaka (a 'kitchen of the nation' for rice trade) and Edo (a very large city) became busy markets, and merchants lent money and moved goods.
Why money was a problem
Samurai were paid in rice, while prices and daily needs were counted in money. When rice prices fell or costs rose, many samurai fell into debt to merchants.
Famines
Because farming depended on weather, a cold summer or flood could ruin the crop. The famines of the Kyoho (1732), Tenmei (1780s) and Tenpo (1830s) years killed many people and pushed the shogunate to try reforms.
Uprisings
When rice was short and prices rose, farmers sometimes joined hyakusho ikki (farmer protests), and town people held uchikowashi (smashing of rice shops). Most protests wanted lower taxes or fairer rice prices, not to overthrow the shogun. Still, they showed that the old order was under strain.
Try it in the 3D: lower the harvest slider and watch the price and unrest bars rise.
Key formulas and definitions
- Shogunate period: 1603 to 1868 (about 250 years)
- Bakuhan system: shogun (bakufu) + domains (han) led by daimyo
- Four status groups: samurai, farmers, artisans, merchants
- Sankin-kotai: daimyo live in Edo in alternate years, family stays in Edo
- Bad harvest -> less rice -> higher price -> hardship -> protest
Worked examples
1. Why did the shogun make daimyo leave their families in Edo?
The families stayed as a quiet guarantee of loyalty. A lord who plotted against the shogun would put his family at risk, so he was less likely to rebel.
2. A daimyo spends 12 months in Edo and 12 months in his domain, in turns. In 10 years, how many years does he spend in Edo?
He alternates, so half of the time: 10 / 2 = 5 years in Edo.
3. Explain how peace could cause trouble for samurai.
Samurai were paid in rice, but they had to buy things with money. When prices rose, their rice pay bought less, and many borrowed from merchants and fell into debt. Peace also meant fewer jobs as warriors.
Common mistakes
- Thinking the emperor ruled in Edo. The shogun ruled in Edo; the emperor stayed in Kyoto.
- Saying merchants were at the top. They were the last of the four groups on paper, even if some were rich.
- Believing Japan was fully closed. There was limited, controlled contact through a few gates.
- Thinking uprisings aimed to remove the shogun. Most asked for lower taxes or cheaper rice.