Tokugawa Feudalism: Emperor and Shogun

Japan had a political (government) system very similar to the political system in Medieval Europe: feudalism. At the top of the government was the Emperor. People believed that the Emperor was like a god, but he did not have any political power. The Shogun was the person that had the real power. The Shogun controlled the military and also controlled the land in Japan. The Shogun exchanged the land for military and political support.

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Tokugawa Feudalism: Daimyo and Samurai

Under the Shogun was a group of people called the

Daimyo. The Daimyo were like the nobles and lords of

Medieval Europe: they controlled the land for the Shogun

and they exchanged this land for services. The Daimyo

controlled warriors called samurai. Samurai were the

warrior class in Japan. The samurai were about 10% of the

population. They promised to support the Daimyo in

exchange for some land. The samurai also had a code of

behavior called bushido. The rules of bushido said that

samurai had to promise loyalty to their Daimyo and to the

shogun. The code of bushido also said that samurai have

to be brave, courageous, and honorable.

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Tokugawa Feudalism: Peasants and Merchants

At the bottom of Japanese society was the peasant class,

who were 75% of the population. The peasants were the

farmers that provided food for the samurai, Daimyo,

Shogun, and the Emperor. If they provided food, peasants

could use some land to make food for themselves. Japan’s

version of feudalism was very similar to Europe’s feudalism,

but in Japan there was a class of people even lower than

the peasants: the merchants. Merchants are people that

buy and sell things. Because Japan was very close to China,

they adopted Confucianism; and in Confucianism,

merchants are believed to be selfish and always looking to

make money. Merchants also did not produce food like the

peasants, so the Japanese disliked the merchants.

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The following edict (law) was passed by the Tokugawa government in 1635. There were several different sections, but only sections 1-3 and 8-10 are presented below.

Closed Country Edict (Law) of 16351. Japanese ships are strictly forbidden to leave for foreign countries. 2. No Japanese is permitted to go abroad. If there is anyone who

attempts to do so secretly, he must be executed. […]3. If any Japanese returns from overseas after residing there, he must

be put to death. […]

8. All incoming ships must be carefully searched for the followers of the priests.

9. No single trading city shall be permitted to purchase all the merchandise brought by foreign ships.

10. Samurai are not permitted to purchase any goods originating from foreign ships directly from Chinese merchants….

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Ukiyo Culture (from ThoughtCo)Literally, the Japanese word ukiyo (“oo-kee-oh”) means "Floating World." During the Tokugawa Period (1600-1868) in Japan, the word ukiyo came to describe the lifestyle of meaningless pleasure-seeking that typified life for many people in the cities of Japan

Among the participants in ukiyo culture were samurai, actors, geisha, sumo wrestlers, and members of the increasingly wealthy merchant class. They met for entertainment and intellectual discussions in brothels, tea houses, and theaters.

For the samurai warriors, ukiyo was an escape; over the 250 years of the Tokugawa period, Japan was at peace. The samurai, however, were expected to train for war and to enforce their position at the top of the Japanese social structure despite their irrelevant societal function and ever-smaller incomes.

Merchants, interestingly enough, had exactly the opposite problem. They grew increasingly wealthy and influential in society and the arts as the Tokugawa era progressed, yet merchants were on the lowest rung of the feudal hierarchy and were absolutely barred from taking positions of political power.

In order to cope with their frustration or boredom, all of these different Japanese people came together to enjoy all things related to art, especially ukiyo-e woodblock prints.

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Examples of Ukiyo-e Woodblock PrintsKatsushika Hokusai, “The Great Wave off Kanagawa,” ca. 1829-1833

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Examples of Ukiyo-e Woodblock PrintsAndō Hiroshige, “Kanbara,” ca. 1833-1834

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Examples of Ukiyo-e Woodblock PrintsKitagawa Utamaro, “Three Known Beauties,” 1793

Isoda Koryūsai, “Kisaragi,” ca. c. 1772-1773

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Painting in Tokugawa JapanIn the strictly controlled feudal society governed for over 250 years by the descendants of Tokugawa family (1542–1616), creativity came not from Japan’s leaders, a conservative military class, but from the two lower classes in the social structure, the artisans (craftsmen) and the merchants.

Restricted trade with Chinese and Dutch merchants was permitted in one city,Nagasaki, and it spurred development of Japanese porcelain and provided an opening for Ming Chinese culture to filter into artistic circles of Japan. This mixing of cultures led to a new style known as bunjinga (“literati painting”), or nanga (“painting of the Southern School”) after the Ming term for literati painting.

(“Art of the Edo Period”, The Met)

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Examples of Bunjinga and Nanga Paintings6

Examples of Bunjinga and Nanga Paintings6

Examples of Bunjinga and Nanga Paintings6