Edo, Japan

The Arts:
A very common art form in Edo was Ukiyo-e Ukiyo-e means "pictures of the floating world." A few popular artists who embraced this type of art were Hakusai and Hiroshige.
~~Squeechi Miranda with a Kabuki performer!

Kabuki was another form of art. It was a form of Japanese theater, used in the Kabuki theaters. It was created by Okuni, a maiden who incorporated lively dance into theater and plays.

Economy: Many people were craftsmen, and were pretty well off. The craftsmen were carpenters, blacksmiths, gunsmiths, mat-makers, or bucket-makers. The main type of money used was different forms of silver coins, whose exchange rate was based on the amount of pure silver in each one. The coins came in 3 varieties:

1. ko-ban, worth 10 "ryo" (or 2. ko-ban), and 3. ichibu-ban, worth 1/4 ryo. But in Edo, gold was another type of coinage that was used, and common folk used copper coins.

People were allowed to travel where they wished, as the government granted free travel to everyone. Since the merchants were also among the travelers, this promoted trade throughout the people, and helped the merchants prosper.

Government: The main ruler in the government was the Shogun, the military leader who ruled Japan. The machi-bugyo was a top official, and was responsible for all local matters affecting the city. The machi-bugyo was just a few steps down in power from the Shogun. The rojo, or chief elders, were a council who advised the Shogun on decisions and matters. The rojo met at the Edo Castle often, and they made policies to help out the country.

Social Life: The most popular form of entertainment was a visit to the kabuki theater. To see these performances, they would go to the top kabuki theaters, in the Tsukiji neighborhood, a more working-class area. They would view musical performances and professional comedians. Wealthy samurai and once in a while merchants would take place in a performance of "high-class" drama, called "Noh."
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