Edokko ( Japanese : 江戸っ子 , lit. ' child of Edo ' ) is a Japanese term referring to a person born and raised in Edo (renamed Tokyo in 1868). The term is believed to have been coined in the late 18th century in Edo. Being an Edokko also implied that the person had certain personality traits different from the non-native population, such as being assertive, straightforward, cheerful, perhaps a bit mercantile (cf. Kyoto , the capital of aristocratic Japan, and Osaka , the capital of mercantile Japan; see also iki and inase ).
8-550: Today, the definition of "Edokko" may vary. The Japanese dictionary simply defines it as one who was born and raised in Edo or Tokyo. However, popular definitions of "a true Edokko" include the following: The latter case is rare in reality, as the majority of the Edo/Tokyo population consists of the natives of other areas. Historically, Edokko almost exclusively refers to chōnin , the commoners. The majority of samurai in Edo were from
16-466: A chōnin by working for Tsutaya Jūzaburō . By the late 17th century the prosperity and growth of Edo had begun to produce unforeseen changes in the Tokugawa social order. The chōnin , who were theoretically at the bottom of the Edo hierarchy ( shinōkōshō , samurai-farmers-craftsmen-merchants, with chōnin encompassing the two latter groups), flourished socially and economically at the expense of
24-468: A samurai family and inherit the samurai's position and stipend. The amount of money given to a gokenin varied according to his position: 1,000 ryo for a yoriki and 500 ryo for an kachi ( 徒士 ) . Some of their descendants were promoted to hatamoto ( 旗本 ) and held important positions in the shogunate. Low-ranking samurai ( kachi ) could change jobs and move into the lower classes, such as chōnin . For example, Takizawa Bakin became
32-427: The class to break the strict social barriers that prevented individuals from ascending in the social hierarchy. Members of the chōnin opted to develop culture within their communities, allowing members of such community to rise as "cultured individuals". This phenomenon is said to be behind the popularity of the iemoto system in the Edo period. The socioeconomic ascendance of chōnin has certain similarities to
40-569: The countryside, and Edokko satisfied themselves by looking down on them, referring them being yabo , the opposite of iki . About half of the Edo population was such samurai. An authority of Edo culture, Hinako Sugiura estimates 1.25% of Edo population was Edokko in the strict sense. From this form is also derived the word edochiano , the Italian-language demonym for people from Tokyo. Ch%C5%8Dnin Chōnin ( 町人 , "townsman")
48-460: The roughly contemporary rise of the " bourgeoisie " in the West. In the latter part of the Tokugawa period, this social class wielded the real power in the society although the warrior class still dominated the political sphere. From the mid-Edo period, wealthy chōnin and farmers could join the samurai class by giving a large sum of money to an impoverished gokenin ( 御家人 ) to be adopted into
56-457: The social class. While chōnin are not as well known to non-Japanese as other social classes in Japan, they played a key role in the development of Japanese cultural products such as ukiyo-e , rakugo , and handicrafts. Aesthetic ideals such as iki , tsū , and wabi-sabi were also developed among the chōnin . This association with cultural development emerged as a way for members of
64-519: Was a social class that emerged in Japan during the early years of the Tokugawa period. In the social hierarchy, it was considered subordinate to the samurai warrior class. The chōnin emerged in joka-machi or castle towns during the sixteenth century. The majority of chōnin were merchants, but some were craftsmen. Nōmin ( 農民 , " farmers ") were not considered chōnin . Later, peasants, servants, and workers were also considered members of
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