Changes

<!--Expansion of roads and communications, economic growth, agricultural intensification, emergence of merchant class, merchant organizations (guilds), rice brokers (banks), export of silver and copper, urbanization-->

<!--Expansion of roads and communications, economic growth, agricultural intensification, emergence of merchant class, merchant organizations (guilds), rice brokers (banks), export of silver and copper, urbanization-->

Even so, the 17th century was a period of fantastic economic growth and development for Japan, as the foundations were laid for the nation's economic infrastructure. Japan had very few true "cities" of any significant size prior to 1570 or so, but castle towns began to grow up around that time, and by 1700, Japan had some of the largest cities in the world. In 1700, the population of Edo is said to have been around one million people, with Osaka and Kyoto each boasting 300,000, and the castle towns of [[Nagoya]] and [[Kanazawa]] each home to roughly 100,000. In total, the 260 or so [[jokamachi|castle towns]] in the realm were home to around ten percent of the total population of the islands.<ref>Arne Kalland, ''Fishing Villages in Tokugawa Japan'', University of Hawaii Press (1995), 18.</ref> Osaka, Edo, and to a lesser extent Kyoto emerged as major commercial centers over the course of the period, and extensive transportation networks formed, shipping goods by road, river, and sea across the entire country. The primary thoroughfare on land was the [[Tokaido|Tôkaidô]], connecting Edo and Kyoto. By the end of the 17th century, at least twenty-four shipping companies were operating out of Osaka, transporting goods to and from Edo.

Even so, the 17th century was a period of fantastic economic growth and development for Japan, as the foundations were laid for the nation's economic infrastructure. Japan had very few true "cities" of any significant size prior to 1570 or so, but castle towns began to grow up around that time, and by 1700, Japan had some of the largest cities in the world. In 1700, the population of Edo is said to have been around one million people, with Osaka and Kyoto each boasting 300,000, and the castle towns of [[Nagoya]] and [[Kanazawa]] each home to roughly 100,000. In total, the 260 or so [[jokamachi|castle towns]] in the realm were home to around ten percent of the total population of the islands,<ref>Arne Kalland, ''Fishing Villages in Tokugawa Japan'', University of Hawaii Press (1995), 18.</ref> making Japan one of the most urbanized societies in the world, alongside only England/Wales and the Netherlands. Some scholars have even suggested that Japan's dramatic process of urbanization in this period may have been unprecedented among any pre-industrial society in history.<ref name=eiko35/> Osaka, Edo, and to a lesser extent Kyoto emerged as major commercial centers over the course of the period, and extensive transportation networks formed, shipping goods by road, river, and sea across the entire country. The primary thoroughfare on land was the [[Tokaido|Tôkaidô]], connecting Edo and Kyoto. By the end of the 17th century, at least twenty-four shipping companies were operating out of Osaka, transporting goods to and from Edo.

Guilds also grew more numerous and more organized in this period, further expanding the organization of the economy as a whole. The medieval ''[[za]]'' were transformed into ''[[kabunakama]]'', groups of merchants or artisans in a given specialty who were granted licenses by the shogunate to engage in a given type of work. Many merchants in the major ports of Nagasaki, Kagoshima, and Tsushima formed relations with shippers and warehousers called ''[[tonya]]'', who organized the transport, storage, and handling of goods shipped from these ports to the markets of Osaka and Edo.  

Guilds also grew more numerous and more organized in this period, further expanding the organization of the economy as a whole. The medieval ''[[za]]'' were transformed into ''[[kabunakama]]'', groups of merchants or artisans in a given specialty who were granted licenses by the shogunate to engage in a given type of work. Many merchants in the major ports of Nagasaki, Kagoshima, and Tsushima formed relations with shippers and warehousers called ''[[tonya]]'', who organized the transport, storage, and handling of goods shipped from these ports to the markets of Osaka and Edo.  

In addition, [[rice brokers]], forerunners to a modern banking system, came to prominence at this time in Osaka, and were among the first futures exchanges in the world. Brokers took ''[[koku]]'' of rice from samurai, who were paid their stipends in that form, either paying the samurai in coin or holding onto the rice as a bank would, and issuing paper bills, representations of value. The brokers would then make loans of this rice to others, at high rates of interest. Networks of rice brokers across the country, acting as branch operations of the central exchange in Osaka, helped to ensure that samurai could have access to their funds wherever it was needed. The central exchange in Osaka, at [[Dojima Rice Exchange|Dôjima]], was organized in 1697 and formally sanctioned and supported by the shogunate beginning in 1773.

In addition, [[rice brokers]], forerunners to a modern banking system, came to prominence at this time in Osaka, and were among the first futures exchanges in the world. Brokers took ''[[koku]]'' of rice from samurai, who were paid their stipends in that form, either paying the samurai in coin or holding onto the rice as a bank would, and issuing paper bills, representations of value. The brokers would then make loans of this rice to others, at high rates of interest. Networks of rice brokers across the country, acting as branch operations of the central exchange in Osaka, helped to ensure that samurai could have access to their funds wherever it was needed. The central exchange in Osaka, at [[Dojima Rice Exchange|Dôjima]], was organized in 1697 and formally sanctioned and supported by the shogunate beginning in 1773.

In short, a wide variety of economic developments combined in this period with the widespread reclamation of land for agricultural purposes, and the intensification of agricultural production to create a powerful trend of growth over the 17th century. Land reclamation took place chiefly in the [[Tohoku|northeastern]] and southwestern parts of the archipelago, which had been relatively undeveloped until then. Over the course of that hundred-year period, the total agricultural production of the archipelago is believed to have increased by about 40%, from 18 million ''koku'' to 25 million, in large part due to expanded use of fertilizer, improved tools and techniques, and practices such as double and triple cropping.<ref>Ravina, ''Land and Lordship'', 7.</ref> This growth slowed considerably after the turn of the century, however, leading to a long period of stasis and relative prosperity.

In short, a wide variety of economic developments combined in this period with the widespread reclamation of land for agricultural purposes, and the intensification of agricultural production to create a powerful trend of growth over the 17th century. Land reclamation took place chiefly in the [[Tohoku|northeastern]] and southwestern parts of the archipelago, which had been relatively undeveloped until then. Over the course of the 16th-17th centuries, the total arable land in Japan is believed to have nearly tripled,<ref name=eiko35>[[Eiko Ikegami]], ''Bonds of Civility'', Cambridge University Press (2005), 35.</ref> and in the 17th century alone, the total agricultural production of the archipelago is believed to have increased by about 40%, from 18 million ''koku'' to 25 million, in large part due to expanded use of fertilizer, improved tools and techniques, and practices such as double and triple cropping.<ref>Ravina, ''Land and Lordship'', 7.</ref> This growth slowed considerably after the turn of the century, however, leading to a long period of stasis and relative prosperity.

===Genroku===

===Genroku===