Editing Edo (section)

==== Military caste ====
The samurai and ''daimyōs'' residential estates varied dramatically in size depending on their status. Some daimyōs could have several of those residences in Edo. The {{Nihongo|upper residence|上屋敷|kami-yashiki}}, was the main residence while the lord was in Edo and was used for official duties. It was not necessarily the largest of his residences, but the most convenient to commute to the castle. The upper residence also acted as the representative embassy of the domain in Edo, connecting the shogunate and the clan. The shogunate did not exercise its investigative powers inside the precincts of the residential estate of the upper residence, which could also act as a refuge. The estate of the upper residence was attributed by the shogunate according to the status of the clan and its relation with the Shogun. The {{Nihongo|middle residence|中屋敷|naka-yashiki}}, a bit further from the castle, could house the heir of the lord, his servants from his fief when he was in Edo for the [[Sankin-kōtai|sankin-kotai]] alternate residency, or be a hiding residence if needed. The {{Nihongo|lower residence|下屋敷|shimo-yashiki}}, if there was any, was on the outskirts of town, more of a pleasure retreat with gardens. The lower residence could also be used as a retreat for the lord if a fire had devastated the city. Some of the powerful ''daimyōs'' residences occupied vast grounds of several dozens of hectares. Maintenance and operations of those residential estates could be extremely expensive. Samurai in service of a specific clan would normally live in the residence of their lord.

The {{Lang|ja-latn|[[hatamoto]]}} samurais, in direct service of the Shogun, would have their own residences, usually located behind the castle on the Western side in the [[Banchō]] area.