1. Japanese
Feudal System

3. European Feudal Society
King
Lord
Knight
Peasant/Serf

4. Feudal Japan Emperor Shogun Daimyos Samurai Ronin Peasants Artisans
Merchants

5. The Structure of Feudal Japan:
Emperor- chief of several clans or family groups.
Highest social status
Figurehead, a leader in name only
Religious leader,
but little political power

6. Shogun- part of the warrior class and considered to be a noble.
Military leader of the most
powerful Emperor’s clans.
Actual political ruler
High social status
Daimyos- part of the warrior class
Nobles at the top of the samurai class
Shogun’s representatives
Ran the estates according to the Shogun’s rules.
Their swords were their most valuable possessions because they were required to use them to demonstrate loyalty.
Lived in huge castles surrounded by moats.

7. Samurai- members of the warrior class
Professional warriors of the military aristocracy
Loyal to the shogun and daimyos and lived in their castes.
Held very high social status, but little political power.

8. Ronin- paid soldiers whose loyalty was with the leader they defended at the time.
Wandering samurai who had no daimyos
Worked as body guards for rich merchants
or as paid soldiers during civil war.
Low social status and no political power.
Peasants- largest class, 90 % of the
population.
Farmers and fishermen
Very poor, low social status and no political
power
Valued because they produced food for
all other classes and made material for
clothing

9. Artisans- craftspeople who made a variety of wood and metal products to meet the needs and wants of the other classes.
Creating art, cooking pots, fish hooks, farm tools, utensils, ship anchors and swords
Highly respected and known for their exceptional swords.
Were not as respected as peasants because they did not produce food.

10. Merchants: sold goods and produce made by others.
Very low social status and seen as unimportant because they produced nothing of value and lived off the efforts of others’ work.
So low was the respect for these sellers that they were made to live in separate locations and not allowed to ix with other classes except to do business.