Edo Society

In this episode, we explore the structure of Edo society under the Tokugawa Shogunate, examining how Japan’s rigid feudal order was built to maintain political stability from 1603 to 1868. We look at the roles of the shōgun, daimyō, and Emperor, and unpack the four-class system that organized society into samurai, peasants, artisans, and merchants, while also noting how modern scholars reinterpret those social divisions. The episode also highlights the harsh discrimination faced by outcast groups such as the burakumin, the strict limitations placed on women according to family rank, and how this deeply hierarchical system ultimately gave way to sweeping change during the Meiji Restoration.