P1+Artisans+and+Merchants

 =Artisans and Merchants= __**Introduction**__

Merchants and artisans are important to the society. They are more important than you might think. Merchants live a very different life style compared to others. Artisans do too. Even though they are of the lowest status, they are still important to the society. Many frown upon them for how they cheat people into their money. But they are still, important because of their trading.

__**Merchants**__

Many of the people of Japan are merchants. Successful merchants are typically very wealthy. They are also typically greedy. Some can even be wealthier than samurai. Merchants got even wealthier when coins were used as currency instead of rice. Unlike artisans and farmers, merchants do not create or make anything. They only buy and sell goods for a higher price to gain a prophet. They are considered parasites because they do nothing to help and add to the economy. Merchants only circulate what’s already there. Because of this, merchants are of the lowest class. Also because of their class, and because they are just plain obnoxious, merchants aren’t allowed to consult with most high classes. Even the low class of artisans is considered a higher class than merchants.

__**Artisans**__

Artisans populate a lot of Japan too. Artisans make things themselves and sell them to gain a prophet. Artisans can make many different types of things like paper, clothing, furniture, dishes, pottery, and most other items in a common household back during the earlier parts of Japan’s history. Artisans are considered a higher class than merchants because artisans create things and add things to the economy. Without them, samurai, farmers, daimyo, and others wouldn’t have basic things like shoes. Artisans are the second to lowest class, right above merchants, but what is above an artisan?

__**Status**__

The emperor is at the top of the status list. Next is the shogun. After that is daimyos. Then the daimyo’s samurai come on the list. After samurai, there are peasants/farmers. Finally are the last two, artisans, and merchants. Some low ranking samurai sell their status for money to the merchants. As the Tokagawa period progressed, merchants gained a higher ranking. Even though that samurai are a higher class than merchants, merchants can often richer than the samurai. Status is based on respect, not coins or wealth.

__**Coins**__

Coins are the currency for Japan. They have been ever since the coins replaced rice as the currency. There are many coins like Oban, Koban, Ichibu Kin, Chogin, Mame-ita, Monme piece, Zeni, and 100 Zeni coins. Oban, Koban, and Ichibu Kin are gold coins. Chogin, Mame-ita, Monme piece are silver coins. Zeni and the unusual 100 Zeni coins are copper coins. Artisans and merchants would typically keep all their money in a box like we do, but we use a safe.

__**Trade**__

Merchants and some artisans trade things from very faraway places and can sell them for high prices. Things from China were more expensive, so merchants could sell them for an even higher prophet. At some point, Japan cancelled all trade with the outer world which affected Japan’s economy greatly. This also affected the average Merchant’s wealth. They could no longer sell expensive things to china, or sell expensive things from china.

__**Conclusion**__

Now it seems more obvious why Merchants and artisans are important. If there were no artisans, then people wouldn’t have basic things like paper and tea. If there were no merchants, we would not have things from faraway places. Merchants help to circulate goods around Japan. If there were no merchants, people wouldn’t be able to buy things from the other side of Japan. The people should be thankful that Merchants can give them the ability to buy something they have retrieved from faraway places. Even though they are the lowest class, artisans and merchants are more important than people think.

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__**Citations**__ Dunn, Charles. //Everyday Life in Traditional Japan.// Batsford: Tuttle Publishing, 1972. Print. Sellen, Jeff. “Merchants.” //Tokagawa Japan (1603 – 1868).//Richard Hooker, 1996. Web. 17 Feb. 2010. [|http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/TOKJAPAN/SHOGUN.HTM] Luc, Thuan. //“Japan early trade coin and the commercial trade between Vietnam and// //Japan in the 17th century.”// Charm. May 1999. Web. 18 Feb. 2010. [] “Hierarchical structure of Feudal Japan.” //Wikipedia.// Wikimedia foundation Inc, 17 Feb. 2010. Web. 18 Feb. 2010. []