Class Identity in Feudal Japan - Fun Facts and Examples

Class Identity in Feudal Japan s Feudal Japan had a four-tiered social structure based on the principle of military preparedness. At the top were the daimyo and their samurai retainers. Three varieties of commoners stood below the samurai: farmers, craftsmen, and merchants. Other people were excluded entirely from the hierarchy, and assigned to unpleasant or unclean duties such as leather tanning, butchering animals and executing condemned criminals.  They are politely known as burakumin, or people of the village. In its basic outline, this system seems very rigid and absolute. However, the system was both more fluid and more interesting than the short description implies. Here are some examples of how the feudal Japanese social system actually functioned in peoples daily lives. If a woman from a common family got engaged to a samurai, she could be officially adopted by a second samurai family. This circumvented the ban on commoners and samurai intermarrying. When a horse, ox or other large farm animal died, it became the property of the local outcasts. It did not matter if the animal had been the personal property of a farmer, or if its body was on a daimyos land; once it was dead, only the eta had any right to it. For more than 200 years, from 1600 to 1868, the entire Japanese social structure revolved around support of the samurai military establishment. During that time period, though, there were no major wars. Most samurai served as bureaucrats. The samurai class basically lived on a form of social security. They were paid a set stipend, in rice, and did not get raises for cost-of-living increases. As a result, some samurai families had to turn to the manufacture of small goods like umbrellas or toothpicks to make a living. They would secretly pass these items on to peddlers to sell. Although there were separate laws for the samurai class, most laws applied to all three types of commoners equally. Samurai and commoners even had different kinds of mailing addresses. The commoners were identified by which imperial province they lived in, while samurai were identified by which daimyos domain they served. Commoners who tried unsuccessfully to commit suicide because of love were considered criminals, but they could not be executed. (That would just give them their wish, right?) So, they became outcast non-persons, or hinin, instead. Being an outcast wasnt necessarily a grinding existence. One headman of the Edo (Tokyo) outcasts, named Danzaemon, wore two swords like a samurai and enjoyed the privileges normally associated with a minor daimyo. To maintain the distinction between samurai and commoners, the government conducted raids called sword hunts or katanagari. Commoners discovered with swords, daggers or firearms would be put to death. Of course, this also discouraged peasant uprisings. Commoners were not allowed to have surnames (family names) unless they had been awarded one for special service to their daimyo. Although the eta class of outcasts was associated with the disposal of animal carcasses and the execution of criminals, most actually made their living by farming. Their unclean duties were just a side-line. Still, they could not be considered in the same class as commoner farmers, because they were outcasts. People with Hansens disease (also called leprosy) lived segregated in the hinin community. However, on the Lunar New Year and Midsummers Eve, they would go out into the city to perform monoyoshi (a celebration ritual) in front of peoples homes. The townspeople then rewarded them with food or cash. As with the western Halloween tradition, if the reward was not sufficient, the lepers would play a prank or steal something. Blind Japanese remained in the class to which they were born - samurai, farmer, etc. - so long as they stayed in the family home. If they ventured out to work as story-tellers, masseurs, or beggers, then they had to join the blind persons guild, which was a self-governing social group outside of the four-tier system. Some commoners, called gomune, took on the role of wandering performers and beggers that would normally have been within the outcasts domain. As soon as the gomune stopped begging and settled down to farming or craft-work, however, they regained their status as commoners. They were not condemned to remain outcasts. Source Howell, David L. Geographies of Identity in Nineteenth-Century Japan, Berkeley: University of California Press, 2005.

Dating and Marriage Vocabulary in English

Dating and Marriage Vocabulary in English This dating and marriage vocabulary guide provides common expressions used in English to speak about romance, going out and getting married including the verbs, nouns, and idioms used with these expressions. These are often similar to those used when ​​speaking about romantic relationships. Before Marriage Verbs to ask someone out - to ask someone to go on a date Alan asked Susan out last week. She still hasnt given him an answer.   to date - to see someone repeatedly in a romantic sense They dated for two years before they decided to get married. to fall in love - to find someone that you love They fell in love while on a hike through Peru. to go out - to date once, to go out repeatedly (often used in the present perfect continuous form) Were going out next Friday. Weve been going out for a few months now.   to court - to try to date someone (older English, not often used in modern, everyday English) The young man courted his love by sending her flowers every day. to go steady - to date regularly over a long period of time Tim and I are going steady.   to have a boyfriend/girlfriend - to have a continuing relationship with one person Do you have a boyfriend? - Thats none of your business! to arrange a marriage - to find marriage partners for other people   In the US most people find a partner by dating. However, its common to arrange marriages in a number of cultures around the world.   to woo someone - to try to go out or date someone How long have you been wooing Anna? Have you asked her out yet? Nouns speed dating - modern technique to find someone to date, people speak to each other quickly one after the other in order to find someone to date Speed dating might seem strange to some, but it certainly helps people find others quickly. online dating - sites that help arrange relationships by meeting possible romantic partners online As many as one in three marriages start with online dating these days. courtship - a period of time during which a man tries to convince a woman to marry him (not generally used in modern English, but common in English literate) The courtship lasted for six months, after which the couple married.   relationship - when two people have a committed attachment to each other Im in a relationship at the moment. Idioms a match made in heaven - two people who are perfect for each other Bob and Kim are a match made in heaven. Im sure theyll have a happy and healthy marriage.   love at first sight - what happens when someone falls in love the first time they see someone I feel in love with my wife at first sight. Im not sure it was the same for her. love affair - a romantic relationship Their love affair lasted for more than two years. blind date - to go out with someone you have never seen before, blind dates are often arranged by friends She was surprised at how much fun she had on her blind date last week. Becoming Engaged Verbs to propose - to ask someone to marry you   Im going to propose to Alan next week. to ask someone to marry you - to ask someone to be your spouse Have you asked her to marry you yet? to ask for someones hand in marriage - to ask someone to marry you Peter arranged a romantic dinner and asked Susans hand in marriage. Nouns proposal - the question made when asking someone to marry   He made his proposal when they brought out the champagne. engagement - the state of being engaged, making the promise to marry each other They announced their engagement at the Christmas party last week. fiance - the person to whom you are engaged My fiance works in education. betrothal - a literary term synonymous with engagement (not commonly used in modern English) The couples betrothal was approved by the king. Idioms to pop the question - to ask someone to marry you When are you going to pop the question? Marrying Verbs to get married - the action of becoming husband and wife They got married in a historic church in the countryside.   to marry - to get married They are going to wed next June. to wed - to get married We wed twenty years ago on this day. to say I do - the agree to marry the other person at a wedding The bride and groom said I do after their vows. Nouns anniversary - the day of your wedding, celebrated by married couples Our anniversary is coming up next week. What should I get her? marriage - the state of being married Their marriage is very good. Theyve been married for twenty years. wedding - the ceremony during which people get married The wedding was lovely. I couldnt help crying a little. matrimony - the state of being married (used less commonly than marriage) The matrimony withheld the test of time.   wedlock - the state of being married (used less commonly than marriage) Weve been in wedlock since 1964.   vow - the promise made between two people during a wedding We exchanged our vows in front of our family and friends.   bride - the woman who marries The bride was so beautiful. They looked so happy together. groom - the man who marries The groom looked arrived twenty minutes late for the wedding. Everyone was very nervous!