Social Structure
![Picture](/uploads/2/5/5/3/25531041/1446474.jpg)
The emperor was only a figure-head in Japan. The shogun, the most important and powerful daimyo, ruled for the emperor. ( The shogun usually carried out personal wishes first then the emperor's) The daimyos, one step down from the shogun, were Japan's nobles. Further down the social ladder, were the common workers. Then came the slaves, for obvious reasons, but what really gets to me is that the merchants are the lowest of Japan society. (Even lower than the slaves!) This is because the Japanese people believed that the merchants produced no goods for Japan while the Peasants did.