Japanese Empire

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Character Sheet
*Name:

• Age:
  *Social Class:
• Occupation / Job:
  *Residence:
• Money and Assets:
  Belongings:

Technical Data Sheet: 10 Fundamental Laws of Feudal Japan
Buke Shohatto (Laws for Military Households): The supreme code that regulated the conduct of the daimyo. It limited the construction of castles, prohibited unauthorized marriage alliances, and demanded absolute loyalty to the Shogun. Sankin Kōtai (Alternating Attendance): The legal obligation of the daimyo to reside one year in Edo and one year in their domain. Their families remained as permanent hostages in the capital, economically stifling any attempt at rebellion.
Sakoku Laws (National Isolation): Decrees that prohibited the entry of foreigners and the departure of Japanese citizens under penalty of death. It restricted foreign trade exclusively to the port of Nagasaki (Dejima). Kujikata Osadamegaki (Edo Judicial Code): A confidential manual for judges and administrators that codified crimes, prison sentences, banishment, legal torture, and methods of execution according to social class.
*Prohibition of Christianity (Kirishtan Kinrei): Absolute proscription of the Christian faith. It required the mandatory registration of the entire population in Buddhist temples (Terauke) and the ritual test of Fumi-e (treading on sacred images).

• Koku-gai Dōgyō Prohibition: Rules that restricted the free movement of people and the sale of agricultural land outside the domain, binding peasants to rice production.
  Katanagari (Sword Hunt): A disarmament law that prohibited peasants, merchants, and monks from possessing swords or firearms, monopolizing the use of violence in the samurai class. Edicts Against Luxury (Sumptuary Laws): Regulations on clothing, food, and housing for each social class. They prohibited merchants and peasants from displaying wealth or wearing fine silks.
  Gonin-gumi (Collective Responsibility System): Mandatory grouping of five peasant or urban families. If one member committed a crime or failed to pay taxes, the entire group was punished.

Technical Data Sheet: Trades and Professions of Feudal Japan
*Military and Ruling Estate (Shi):

• Samurai / Hatamoto: Warriors, public administrators, judges and guardians in the service of a feudal lord or the Shogun.
  *Rōnin: Masterless samurai who worked as mercenaries, bodyguards, martial arts instructors, or thugs.
• Agricultural and Livestock Sector (Nō):
  Hyakushō (Peasant): Growers of rice, cereals, and vegetables; pillar of the economy and main taxpayers. Fishermen and Harvesters: Suppliers of seafood, salt, and seaweed.
  *Craftsmen and Specialists (Kō):
• Kajiya (Sword/Weapon Blacksmith): Creators of katanas, armor, and metal tools.
  *Daiku (Carpenter/Architect): Builders of temples, castles, and wooden houses.
• Artisans: Woodblock printmakers (Ukiyo-e), potters, lacquerers, and silk weavers (Kimono).
  *Trade and Services (Shō):
• Shōnin (Merchants): Rice merchants, usurers, moneylenders and shop owners (Echigoya).
  *Kabu-nakama: Members of monopolistic trade guilds.
• Entertainment and Floating World (Ukiyo):
  *Geisha / Taikomochi: Artists of music, dance and conversation (female and male).
• Oiran / Yūjo: Courtesans of high and low rank.
  *Kabuki-yakusha: Kabuki theater actors and puppeteers (Bunraku).
• Urban and Intangible Services:
  *Isha (Traditional Doctors): Practitioners of acupuncture and herbal medicine.
• Kabu / Transport: Palanquin bearers (Kago) and express messengers (Hikyaku).

Technical Data Sheet: Main Places of Feudal Japan
Edo (Tokyo): Political capital and seat of the Tokugawa Shogunate. A densely populated and heavily walled urban center, structured around Edo Castle. It concentrated military power, the samurai elite, and the emerging merchant class. Yoshiwara (Edo): The pleasure district or "red-light district" officially sanctioned and legalized by the Shogunate. A walled area surrounded by a moat, famous for its high-ranking courtesans (Oiran), teahouses, and theaters. It was the nucleus of the cultural and urban flourishing of the floating world (Ukiyo).
Kyoto: Imperial capital and residence of the Emperor (Tennō) and the court (Kugyō). Cultural, religious, and artistic heart of the country. It was notable for housing the Imperial Palace (Gosho) and the most influential Buddhist and Shinto temples. Osaka: Commercial capital and logistics center of the nation ("The Kitchen of the World"). Dominated by Osaka Castle and its extensive canals, it housed the central grain markets and facilitated the conversion of rice (Koku) into liquid currency.
Nagasaki (Dejima Island): The only port open to foreign trade during the national isolation (Sakoku). Dejima, an artificial islet in its bay, served as a tightly controlled enclave for trading with the Dutch and Chinese. Tokaido: The main road artery connecting Edo with Kyoto. A network of roads dotted with rest stations (Shukuba) and military checkpoints (Sekisho) to monitor the movement of travelers and goods.

Technical Specifications: Structure of the Monetary System
*Agricultural Value Standard (Koku):

• Unit: Koku (volume measure equivalent to 180 liters of rice).
  *Use: Reference for setting taxes on peasants and paying salaries to the military (samurai).
• Tripartite System of Metallic Currencies (Sansei):
  *Gold Coins:
• Pieces: Koban and Ōban.
  *Unit of account: Ryō (1 Ryō = 4 Bu = 16 Shu).
• Use: Large-scale transactions, nobility finances, and tributes.
  Silver Coins: Pieces: Chōgin and Mameitagin.
  *Unit of account: Monme (weighted system, it was evaluated by weight).
• Use: Wholesale and corporate trade.
  *Copper/Bronze Coins:
• Piece: Kan'ei Tsūhō (circular disc with square central hole).
  *Unit of account: Mon.
• Use: Retail, everyday expenses and purchases by ordinary people.
  *Complementary Paper Currency (Hansatsu):
• Issuer: Provincial Domains (Han).
  *Use: Valid only within the issuer's territory to supplement metal shortages.
• Theoretical Exchange Rate:
  1 Ryō (Gold) \approx 50-60 Monme (Silver) \approx 4,000 Mon (Copper).

Technical Data Sheet: Hierarchy of Personnel of the Ancient Imperial Palace (Heian/Edo)
*Emperor (Tennō): Divine sovereign and supreme figure. He resided at the top of the structure, although his daily life was strictly governed by rituals and courtly etiquette.

• Royal Family and Inner Circle:
  Empress Princess (Kōgō) and Concubines (Nyōgo, Kōi): They resided in the Kōkyū (Rear Palace). Their hierarchy determined the rank and political future of their descendants. Imperial Princes and Princesses (Shinnō): Heirs and blood relatives with honorary titles.
  High Court Nobility (Kugyō): Daijō-kan (Council of State): Headed by the Daijō-daijin (Grand Minister), followed by the Left (Sadaijin) and Right (Udaijin) ministers. They dominated the imperial ministries.
  *High-ranking courtiers (Kuten): Nobles who occupied the 1st to 3rd imperial ranks, controlling political and ideological decisions.
• Administration and Intermediate Services:
  Ladies-in-Waiting (Nyōbō / Jito): Women of the middle nobility who served directly to the Empress and concubines. They performed administrative, cultural, and private service duties. Scribes and Administrators (Kurodo): Responsible for drafting decrees, keeping records, and coordinating imperial logistics.
  *Domestic Service and Security:
• Imperial Guard (Suishin / Koban): Soldiers and guards assigned to the protection of the gates and corridors of the Dairi.
  Servants and Keepers (Jishi / Yotogi): Staff responsible for maintenance, cooking, cleaning, and transportation. They operated in the areas furthest from the palace without direct access to the ruler.

Technical Sheet: The Bakufu (Shogunate)
*Definition: Military government that exercised real power in Japan during the feudal era, exercising a mandate parallel to the imperial court.

• Hierarchical structure:
  Emperor (Tenno): A sacred figure and nominal sovereign. He resided in Kyoto, lacked effective political or military power, and fulfilled a ceremonial and religious role. Shogun: A military dictator and de facto ruler. Formally appointed by the emperor, he concentrated political, judicial, and military control.
  Daimyo: Priests of the warrior nobility and feudal lords who governed the provinces (han). They paid tribute and direct loyalty to the Shogun. Samurai: Warrior elite who served the daimyo under the strict Bushido code of conduct.
  *Administrative organization:
• Metsuke: Corps of inspectors and spies charged with monitoring the loyalty of feudal lords.
  Roju: Council of elders that advised the Shogun on domestic and foreign policy. Control mechanisms: Implementation of the Sankin Kotai (alternative residence system), which forced daimyo to spend a year in Edo (present-day Tokyo) and leave their families as hostages, preventing rebellions.
  *Key periods: Kamakura (1185–1333), Muromachi (1336–1573) and Tokugawa/Edo (1603–1867).
• Decline: The Meiji Restoration (1868) abolished this system, returning real political power to the Emperor and initiating the modernization of the country.