Edo period

1603–1868 Japanese military government

period of Japanese history from 1600 to 1868, during the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate

thumb|A samurai in Japanese armour|his armor in the 1860s. Hand-colored photograph by [[Felice Beato]]

Edo (), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo.

thumb|17th-century Dutch Dejima, Japan thumb|A Dutchman with his servant at Dejima (18th-century painting by unknown artist, British Museum collection) thumb|right|A 2017 model of Dejima in the National Museum of Ethnology (Netherlands)|Museum Volkenkunde in [[Leiden, Netherlands]] thumb|A central part of reconstructed Dejima, Nagasaki, 2007 thumb|right|Dejima and Nagasaki Bay, circa 1820. Two Dutch ships (far right) and numerous Chinese trading Junk (ship)|junks (left and center) are depicted. thumb|right|A view of Dejima island in Nagasaki Bay (from Philipp Franz von Siebold|Siebold's Nippon

thumb|The Chinese characters (kanji) for "Rangaku". The first character "ran" is an abbreviation of the [[ateji for . The second character "gaku" means "study" and "learning".]] Rangaku (Kyūjitai: , ), and by extension , is a body of knowledge developed by Japan through its contacts with the Dutch enclave of Dejima, which allowed Japan to keep abreast of Western technology and medicine in the period when the country was closed to foreigners from 1641 to 1853 because of the Tokugawa shogunate's policy of national isolation (sa'koku). thumb|A meeting of Japan, China, and the West, Shiba Kōkan, l

thumb|350px| "En masse Attendance of Daimyo at Edo Castle on a Festive Day" from the Tokugawa Seiseiroku, [[National Museum of Japanese History]] Sankin-kōtai (, now commonly written as ) was a policy of the Tokugawa shogunate during most of the Edo period, created to control the daimyo, the feudal lords of Japan, politically, and to keep them from attempting to overthrow the regime. It required most daimyo to alternate between living in their domain and in the shogunate's capital, Edo, every year. This made the daimyo subject to constant surveillance from the shogunate. This also forced the d

estate of a warrior (after the 12th century) or a feudal lord called daimyo (after 1603 onwards) in Japanese history

historical name for European ships trading with Japan

thumb|right|300px|Sculpture of a retired chōnin as a Upāsaka and Upāsikā|lay Buddhist. It was common for chōnin to take up Buddhism after retirement.thumb|The house of the merchant (Fukagawa Edo Museum) was a social class that emerged in Japan during the early years of the Tokugawa period. The word chōnin comes from the character chō (町) meaning city ward and the character nin (人) meaning person. In the social hierarchy, it was considered subordinate to the samurai warrior class.

Tsujigiri ( or , literally "crossroads killing") is a Japanese term for a practice when a samurai, after receiving a new katana or developing a new fighting style or weapon, tests its effectiveness by attacking a human opponent, usually a random defenseless passer-by, in many cases during night time. The practitioners themselves are also referred to as tsujigiri.

in Edo-period Japan, a daimyō considered an outsider by the shōgun, from those families who submitted to the Tokugawa shōgunate after the Battle of Sekigahara, including both daimyō who fought with the Tokugawa and those who fought against them

in Edo-period Japan, a class of daimyōs who were hereditary vassals of the Tokugawa, many of whom were families serving the Tokugawa clan since before its rise to shogunhood; primarily occupied the ranks of the Tokugawa administration

thumb|Nakasendō's [[Tsumago-juku]] were staging post stations during the Edo period in Japan, generally located on one of the Edo Five Routes or one of its sub-routes. They were also called shuku-eki (宿駅). These stage stations, or "" developed around them, were places where travelers could rest on their journey around the nation. They were created based on policies for the transportation of goods by horseback that were developed during the Nara and Heian periods.

gold and silver mine on the island of Sado in Niigata Prefecture, Japan

thumb|Ukiyo-e depiction of the by Hashimoto Chikanobu

thumb|Binchō-tan, or white charcoal thumbnail|Burning binchō-tan Binchō-tan (, ), also called white charcoal or binchō-zumi, is a type of high-quality charcoal traditionally used in Japanese cooking. Its use dates back to the Edo period when during the Genroku era, a craftsman named Bichū-ya Chōzaemon () began to produce it in Tanabe, Wakayama. The typical raw material used to make binchō-tan in Japan is oak, specifically ubame oak, now the official tree of Wakayama Prefecture. Wakayama continues to be a major producer of high-quality charcoal, with the town of Minabe, Wakayama, producing more

thumb|right|alt=Tokugawa Yoshimune|Tokugawa Yoshimune The or was a group of government-employed undercover agents (onmitsu), established by the 8th Tokugawa shōgun, Tokugawa Yoshimune (1684–1751). They were under the direct command of the shōgun and were in charge of assassination of high-value targets, clandestine operation, counterintelligence, executive protection, providing security at Edo Castle areas, and undercover intelligence operations. In actuality, their work consisted more often of reporting any news about the city of Edo to the shōgun or remaining incognito to inspect and report

thumb|Japanese puzzle box thumb|Japanese jewelry box (lit., "parquet work") is a type of traditional Japanese marquetry developed in the town of during the Edo period. Resembling a type of mosaic, is created through the combination of fine oblong rods of wood chosen for their grain, texture and colour, making an intricate surface pattern which is then sliced into thin layers. It is commonly found on traditional Japanese puzzle boxes and similar decorative items. In 1984 it was designated as one of the Traditional Crafts of Japan.

thumb|Detail of a mid-19th-century kimono decorated using , with white [[cotton threads on an indigo-dyed plain weave background (Metropolitan Museum of Art)]] thumb|upright=2|Child's sleeping mat (), late 1800s. The stitches are decorative, but also functional; they hold the pieced cotton rags together

thumb|right|Terakoya school in the Edo period|upright=1 were private educational institutions that taught reading and writing to the children of Japanese commoners during the Edo period.

stage of the Japanese language following Middle Japanese and preceding Modern Japanese

Japanese recipe book for preparing tofu

is a term that covers various genres of popular woodblock-printed illustrated literature during the Japanese Edo period (1600–1868) and early Meiji era. These works were published in the city of Edo (now Tokyo).

thumb|314x314px|1833 artwork depicting firefighters with and ladders, Edo-Tokyo Museum A was a flag used in Edo period Japan by hikeshi firemen to notify people of a fire near or within a building. It was taken up on a roof near the burning building by the and waved to draw the attention of other groups of firefighters, who would then hurry to the site of the fire to assist. Each different group of firemen in the Edo period had their own to identify themselves.thumb|315x315px|Members of the group with in Ikegami Honmon-ji|Ikegami, Tokyo, JapanIn modern Japan, the is only used for ceremonial pu

thumb|Tokugawa Yoshinobu, the last taikun , spelled tycoon in English language sources from the 1860s, is an archaic Japanese term of respect. Its literal meaning is "Great Lord/Prince" or "Supreme Commander". In official documents, it was written .

Setsugekka 雪月花 is a common theme in Japanese art.

Seishitsu (正室) is the Japanese term of the Edo period for the official wife of high-ranking persons. The tennō, kugyō (court officials), shōgun and daimyōs often had several wives to ensure the birth of an heir. The seishitsu had a status above other wives, called sokushitsu (側室, concubine).

thumb|The Takayama Jin'ya, a surviving Edo period ''jin'ya'' in Takayama, [[Gifu Prefecture, was the administrative headquarters of Hida Province.]]

thumb|In Edo society, beggars belonged to the Hi-nin class.

17th century Korean ideology which sees the Koreans as the true heirs to Chinese civilization after the fall of Ming dynasty by the Manchu-ruled Qing dynasty

Japanese spirit

thumb|Utagawa Yoshitora, Hikeshi with a [[matoi]] Hikeshi () were fire brigades in Edo and Meiji-era Tokyo. Members of these brigades were also called by this term.

education institution in feudal Japan

philosophy in Edo-period Japan

is a title that was given in Japan from the beginning of the Edo period until the Meiji Restoration. In that period it was the highest official standing that could be attained by a go player. Literally it is a metonym, meaning the 'go office'. The title was created by Tokugawa Ieyasu and was given by the Jisha-bugyō (Commissioner of Temples and Shrines). The Godokoro was required to be a Meijin and to be the best player in the land.

A koshō (小姓) was a type of samurai position, serving at the side of a military commander and handling various miscellaneous duties. The term originates from the homophone "扈従" (meaning a person who accompanies a noble), and can also be written as "小性".

The beigoma (Japanese: ベーゴマ) is a traditional Japanese top that is approximately 3 cm in diameter and often decorated with kanji. When spun correctly, the beigoma makes a humming sound.

Japanese form of paper money during the Edo period

historical diplomatic missions in present-day Japan

Japanese clan

thumb|A hatago in Japan which today functions as a museum were Edo period lodgings for travelers at shukuba (post stations) along the national highways, including the Edo Five Routes and the subroutes. In addition to a place to rest, hatago also offered meals and other foods to the travelers. They were also called .

thumb|The honjin at Inaba Kaidō's [[Ōhara-shuku.]] is the Japanese word for an inn for government officials, generally located in post stations (shukuba) during the later part of the Edo period.

Japanese society during the Edo period (1603–1868).

the movement to overthrow the bakufu

The Tōshin (同心, literally "same mind") were low-ranking officials of the Tokugawa shogunate in Edo period Japan. Serving under various commissioners (Bugyō), the Kyoto Shoshidai, castle wardens, Great Guard Captains, Shoinbangashira, and the Fire and Theft Investigators (Hitsuke Tōzoku Aratame), they were subordinate to Assistant Commissioners (Yoriki) and performed duties such as general administration, patrolling, and security. Their social status was that of foot soldiers (ashigaru), meaning they did not hold full samurai rank (shibun).

Japanese legend in the late Edo period

thumb|A tonya in Japan which today functions as a museum

thumb|upright=1.7|The , photographed pre-1926 by Iida Yonezō thumb|The Michinoku Maru, a modern reconstruction of a kitamaebune The was a shipping route (and also the ships involved) in Japan from the Edo period to the Meiji era. The route went from Osaka through the Seto Inland Sea and the Kanmon Straits to ports in Hokuriku on the Sea of Japan and later to Hokkaidō.

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rest areas along pre-modern Japanese roads

bilateral diplomatic relations

A was the office of a daikan (magistrate) during the Edo period (18th & 19th century) of Japanese history.

Culture during early to mid-19th century Japan

lifelike life-size Japanese dolls