The flourishing of art & culture, economic prosperity, isolation from the rest of the world, an incredibly strict social order… and above all, peace. That is what we usually think about when we hear the term “Edo Period”!

Under the rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate from 1603 until 1868, Japan was allowed to rebuild and heal after centuries of near-constant unrest, war and infighting, and not only that, but in many ways, the Edo period was when Japan was able to truly develop its unique cultural identity that we all know and love today.

Surely, the Edo period offered a welcome respite from the relentless conflict that preceded it. But while it's pretty common to romanticize this era in Japanese history, it’s also important to remember that peace and stability alone doesn't guarantee a utopia. Because beneath the surface of this seemingly idyllic society lurked a DIFFERENT reality: Crime was actually a persistent fact of life in Edo period Japan, and a rigid social hierarchy, economic disparities, and the presence of a large population of unemployed and frustrated ex-Samurai created a fertile breeding ground for criminal activity of all kinds: From petty theft to more serious crimes like illegal gambling, arson and murder, the Edo period actually saw its fair share of lawlessness!

So, in this video, I would like to take a look at a different, rarely-talked about side of the Edo period, far away from Kabuki shows and Ukiyo-e woodblock printing, where crime, violence and everything in between were a part of everyday life. What types of crime infested this seemingly peaceful period in Japanese history, who committed these crimes, who exactly was it that DEALT with those who broke the law, and what kind of brutal punishment was enforced upon criminals in the Edo period? Today we'll tackle all of these questions… which might or might not include uncovering some pretty unsettling details in the process!


#japan #history #crime


SOURCES:

Book: “Police and Community in Japan” by Walter L. Ames

https://www.swordsofnorthshire.com/bl...

https://edoflourishing.blogspot.com/2...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimina...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edo_per...

https://www.farbeyondthemiyako.com/36...

https://soranews24.com/2013/03/14/cri...

https://japanthis.com/execution-groun...

https://www.tofugu.com/japanese/tsuji...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edo_per...

https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wi...)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsujigiri

https://www.ukessays.com/essays/histo...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takano_...

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamada_...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaoya_O...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_enf...



CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Intro
02:37 - Edo Police Force
06:55 - Samurai M*rders
09:45 - Tsujigiri
12:22 - Non-Samurai M*rders
13:38 - Punishment
14:37 - The Three Execution Grounds
21:24 - End of the Edo Period
23:33 - Outro