During the Tokugawa Era, Japanese society was organized into a strict four-class hierarchy: at the top were the samurai, who were the warrior class and held significant power; next were the farmers, who were respected for their role in producing food; followed by artisans, who created goods and crafts; and at the bottom were merchants, who, despite their wealth, were often looked down upon for their lack of productive labor. This social structure was reinforced by the shogunate's policies, which aimed to maintain order and control over the population.
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