During the Edo period in Japan, society was divided into 4 major classes consisting of Samurai, Farmer, Artisan and Merchant. There was the ideal version of social organization that we preferred by the Tokugawa Government however this format did not really match the reality of Edo period life. In the article, Tokugawa Period/Edo Period: Economy and Society, it says that, “the merchant class, officially at the bottom of the Tokugawa social structure, benefited greatly from the period’s economic growth and… the merchant class created a new style of life and art, showing off their wealth and power, enjoying the tether, hosting boating parties on city waterways, and frequenting restaurants and tea houses.” The merchant class was able to live lavishly
