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Japan imported a wide variety of goods, including ceramics, silks, aromatic woods, antlers, hides, and other animal products, and tea. Its primary exports were precious metals; throughout the 17th century, Japan was one of the world's primary sources of copper, silver, and gold<ref>Kobata, Atsushi. "Production and Uses of Gold and Silver in Sixteenth- and Seventeeth-Century Japan." ''The Economic History Review''. New Series, 18:2 (1965). pp245-266.</ref>. By the end of the century, however, due to a shortage of resources and shifting foreign demand, Japanese exports of precious metals suffered a severe decline.

Japan imported a wide variety of goods, including ceramics, silks, aromatic woods, antlers, hides, and other animal products, and tea. Its primary exports were precious metals; throughout the 17th century, Japan was one of the world's primary sources of copper, silver, and gold<ref>Kobata, Atsushi. "Production and Uses of Gold and Silver in Sixteenth- and Seventeeth-Century Japan." ''The Economic History Review''. New Series, 18:2 (1965). pp245-266.</ref>. By the end of the century, however, due to a shortage of resources and shifting foreign demand, Japanese exports of precious metals suffered a severe decline.

<!--Shimabara Rebellion, and perhaps further discussion of Christian influence and bans-->

<!--Shimabara Rebellion, and perhaps further discussion of Christian influence and bans-->

<!--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 10 percent of the total population of the islands,<ref>Arne Kalland, ''Fishing Villages in Tokugawa Japan'', University of Hawaii Press (1995), 18.</ref>, rising to around 22% later in the 18th century,<ref>Kenneth Pomeranz, ''The Great Divergence'', Princeton University Press (2000), 35.</ref> and 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.

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 10 percent of the total population of the islands,<ref>Arne Kalland, ''Fishing Villages in Tokugawa Japan'', University of Hawaii Press (1995), 18.</ref>, rising to around 22% later in the 18th century,<ref>Kenneth Pomeranz, ''The Great Divergence'', Princeton University Press (2000), 35.</ref> and 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.  

Society was, in theory at least, divided into four (plus) status categories, a structure often referred to as the ''mibun seido'' (social status system). The key four status categories were, in descending order of regard: (1) the samurai, who ruled, (2) the farmers, fishermen, and other villagers who produced food, (3) the craftsmen and artisans who produced useful products, (4) the merchants who produced nothing. Of course, there were also those who fell outside of these categories, including chiefly the Imperial family and court nobility, at the top, Shinto and Buddhist clergy, also officially held in high regard, and, [[kabuki]] actors, [[courtesans]], and other sorts of entertainers, who were held in low regard, with the ''hinin'', ''eta'', and other sorts of outcastes at the bottom of the pile. To a certain extent, many of those at the bottom were considered in such low regard because of notions of spiritual pollution - the ''eta'' and ''hinin'' included those who handled skins, meat, and dead bodies. However, the simple notion of being outside the normal realms was seen as spiritually or magically dangerous, as upsetting the natural order by existing outside of it; in a sense it was self-reinforcing. Since popular theatre grew out of rituals associated with liminal spaces and connection with the otherworldly, actors and entertainers were seen as somewhat 'other' as well. On a more practical level, it has also been suggested that entertainers were categorized into a particularly low status because their activities, being more ephemeral, were more difficult to tax (in contrast, for example, to agricultural or manufacturing output).

Society was, in theory at least, divided into four (plus) status categories, a structure often referred to as the ''mibun seido'' (social status system). The key four status categories were, in descending order of regard: (1) the samurai, who ruled, (2) the farmers, fishermen, and other villagers who produced food, (3) the craftsmen and artisans who produced useful products, (4) the merchants who produced nothing. Of course, there were also those who fell outside of these categories, including chiefly the Imperial family and court nobility, at the top, Shinto and Buddhist clergy, also officially held in high regard, and, [[kabuki]] actors, [[courtesans]], and other sorts of entertainers, who were held in low regard, with the ''hinin'', ''eta'', and other sorts of outcastes at the bottom of the pile. To a certain extent, many of those at the bottom were considered in such low regard because of notions of spiritual pollution - the ''eta'' and ''hinin'' included those who handled skins, meat, and dead bodies. However, the simple notion of being outside the normal realms was seen as spiritually or magically dangerous, as upsetting the natural order by existing outside of it; in a sense it was self-reinforcing. Since popular theatre grew out of rituals associated with liminal spaces and connection with the otherworldly, actors and entertainers were seen as somewhat 'other' as well. On a more practical level, it has also been suggested that entertainers were categorized into a particularly low status because their activities, being more ephemeral, were more difficult to tax (in contrast, for example, to agricultural or manufacturing output).

These were not simply conceptual social categories, however. They played a role, too, in the feudal hierarchical structure of the Tokugawa state, as members of each class were responsible for performing their proper duties or obligations (''yaku'') to the state.<ref>Ikegami, 148.</ref> In addition to one's status category, people were also grouped together into somewhat self-governing units, such as villages in the case of villagers, and ''chô'' (neighborhoods) in the case of townsmen, while samurai and nobles were simply governed by household (''[[ie]]''). Many of these groups, which [[John Whitney Hall]] called "containers,"<ref>John W. Hall, “Rule by Status in Tokugawa Japan,” ''Journal of Japanese Studies'' 1:1 (1974), 39–49.</ref> had emerged on their own in the Sengoku period, as people banded together for protection and mutual assistance; the Tokugawa shogunate then made the groupings official, requiring each village, ''chô'', household, or religious sect to have its own head, and requiring the head to both manage affairs within the group, and to ensure that the group paid its taxes or service appropriately to the authorities above it in the hierarchy.<ref>Amy Stanley, ''Selling Women: Prostitution, Markets, and the Household in Early Modern Japan'', UC Press (2012), 26.</ref>

These were not simply conceptual social categories, however. They played a role, too, in the feudal hierarchical structure of the Tokugawa state, as members of each class were responsible for performing their proper duties or obligations (''yaku'') to the state.<ref>Ikegami, 148.</ref> In addition to one's status category, people were also grouped together into somewhat self-governing units, such as villages in the case of villagers, and ''chô'' (neighborhoods) in the case of townsmen, while samurai and nobles were simply governed by household (''[[ie]]''). Many of these groups, which [[John Whitney Hall]] called "containers,"<ref>John W. Hall, “Rule by Status in Tokugawa Japan,” ''Journal of Japanese Studies'' 1:1 (1974), 39–49.</ref> had emerged on their own in the Sengoku period, as people banded together for protection and mutual assistance; the Tokugawa shogunate then made the groupings official, requiring each village, ''chô'', household, or religious sect to have its own head, and requiring the head to both manage affairs within the group, and to ensure that the group paid its taxes or service appropriately to the authorities above it in the hierarchy.<ref name=stanley26/>

Tokugawa official Neo-Confucianism dictated that if everyone were to perform their proper role in society, all would fall into place, and prosperity would result. To that end, the shogunate, as well as the ''daimyô'' and other authorities, repeatedly issued sumptuary laws and the like, mandating people to behave in accordance with their station. In reality, however, there was much crossover between statuses, as wealthy merchants bought lavish things, poor samurai struggled to afford to keep up the appearances expected of their status, and so forth. Unemployed and underemployed samurai regularly attended kabuki, the pleasure quarters, and other low-class entertainments despite it being forbidden for them, and people of all classes mingled with one another within artistic and cultural contexts.

Tokugawa official Neo-Confucianism dictated that if everyone were to perform their proper role in society, all would fall into place, and prosperity would result. To that end, the shogunate, as well as the ''daimyô'' and other authorities, repeatedly issued sumptuary laws and the like, mandating people to behave in accordance with their station. In reality, however, there was much crossover between statuses, as wealthy merchants bought lavish things, poor samurai struggled to afford to keep up the appearances expected of their status, and so forth. Unemployed and underemployed samurai regularly attended kabuki, the pleasure quarters, and other low-class entertainments despite it being forbidden for them, and people of all classes mingled with one another within artistic and cultural contexts.