Editing Edo period (section)

==Artistic and intellectual development==
=== Education ===
[[File:Bungaku-Bandai_no-Takara-Terakoya-School-by-Issunshi-Hanasato.png|thumb|[[Terakoya]], private educational school]]
The first shogun Ieyasu set up Confucian academies in his ''[[Shinpan (daimyo)|shinpan]]'' domains and other ''daimyos'' followed suit in their own domains, establishing what's known as [[Han school|''han'' schools]] (藩校, ''hankō'').<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">Hane, Mikiso. ''Premodern Japan: A historical survey''. Routledge, 2018.</ref> Within a generation, almost all samurai were literate, as their careers often required knowledge of literary arts.<ref name=":0" /> These academies were staffed mostly with other samurai, along with some buddhist and shinto clergymen who were also learned in Neo-Confucianism and the works of [[Zhu Xi]].When the clergy of [[Shinto]] religion were alive, samurai, Buddhist monks were also there.<ref name=":0" /> Beyond [[kanji]] (Chinese characters), the Confucian classics, calligraphy, basic arithmetics, and etiquette,<ref name=":2" /> the samurai also learned various martial arts and military skills in schools.<ref name=":0" />

The ''[[chōnin]]'' (urban merchants and artisans) patronized neighborhood schools called ''[[terakoya]]'' (寺子屋, "temple schools").<ref name=":0" /> Despite being located in temples, the ''[[terakoya]]'' curriculum consisted of basic literacy and arithmetic, instead of literary arts or philosophy.<ref name=":0" /> High rates of urban literacy in Edo contributed to the prevalence of novels and other literary forms.<ref name=":2" /> In urban areas, children were often taught by masterless samurai, while in rural areas priests from Buddhist temples or Shinto shrines often did the teaching.<ref name=":2" /> Unlike in the cities, in rural Japan, only children of prominent farmers would receive education.<ref name=":2" />

In Edo, the shogunate set up several schools under its direct patronage, the most important being the neo-Confucian {{Nihongo|''[[Shōheikō]]''|昌平黌}} acting as a de facto elite school for its bureaucracy but also creating a network of alumni from the whole country. Besides Shoheikō, other important directly run schools at the end of the shogunate included the {{Nihongo|''[[Wagakukōdansho]]''|和学講談所|4="Institute of Lectures of Japanese classics"}}, specialized in Japanese domestic history and literature, influencing the rise of {{lang|ja-latn|[[kokugaku]]}}, and the {{Nihongo|''[[Igakukan]]''|医学間|4="Institute of medicine"}}, focusing on [[Traditional Chinese medicine|Chinese medicine]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Kobayashi|first=Tetsuya|title=Society, Schools, and Progress in Japan|publisher=Pergamon|year=1976|isbn=9781483136226|pages=14–}}</ref>

One estimate of literacy in Edo suggest that up to a fifth of males could read, along with a sixth of women.<ref name=":0" /> Another estimate states that 40% of men and 10% of women by the end of the Edo period were literate.<ref>See Martha Tocco, "Norms and texts for women's education in south east china Tokugawa Japan." In Ko, Haboush, and Piggott, Women and Confucian Cultures, 193–218.</ref> According to another estimate, around 1800, almost 100% of the samurai class and about 50% to 60% of the ''[[chōnin]]'' (craftsmen and merchants) class and ''nōmin'' (peasants) class were literate.<ref name = "seikei"/> Some historians partially credited Japan's relatively high literacy rates for its fast development after the Meiji Restoration.<ref name=":2" />

As the literacy rate was so high that many ordinary people could read books, books in various genres such as cooking, gardening, travel guides, art books, scripts of ''[[bunraku]]'' (puppet theatre), ''[[kibyōshi]]'' (satirical novels), ''[[sharebon]]'' (books on urban culture), ''[[kokkeibon]]'' (comical books), ''[[ninjōbon]]'' (romance novel), ''[[yomihon]]'' and ''[[kusazōshi]]'' were published. There were 600 to 800 rental bookstores in Edo, and people borrowed or bought these [[Woodblock printing in Japan|woodblock print]] books. The best-selling books in this period were ''Kōshoku Ichidai Otoko'' (''Life of an Amorous Man'') by [[Ihara Saikaku]], ''[[Nansō Satomi Hakkenden]]'' by [[Takizawa Bakin]] and ''[[Tōkaidōchū Hizakurige]]'' by [[Jippensha Ikku]] and these books were reprinted many times.<ref name ="edobooks">[https://web.archive.org/web/20201019205019/https://www.kodomo.go.jp/gallery/edoehon/era/index_e.html Edo Picture Books and the Edo Period.] National Diet Library.</ref><ref name = "seikei">[https://web.archive.org/web/20210224122700/http://www.book-seishindo.jp/seikei_tanq/tanq_2013B-06.pdf ''第6回 和本の楽しみ方4 江戸の草紙'' p.3.]. Konosuke Hashiguchi. (2013) Seikei University.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20191228234126/https://www.nihonbashi-tokyo.jp/en/history/culture.html Nihonbashi.] Mitsui Fudosan.</ref><ref>Keizaburo Seimaru. (2017) ''江戸のベストセラー''. Yosensha. {{ISBN|978-4800312556}}</ref>

=== Philosophy and religion ===
[[File:Le Musée Paul Dupuy - Horloge japonaise à double foliot (Wadokei) - Période Edo.jpg|thumb|upright|A [[Wadokei]], a Japanese-made clockwatch, 18th century]]
The flourishing of Neo-Confucianism was the major intellectual development of the Tokugawa period.<ref name=":0" /> Confucian studies had long been kept active in Japan by [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] clerics, but during the Tokugawa period, Confucianism emerged from Buddhist religious control. This system of thought increased attention to a secular view of man and society. The ethical [[humanism]], [[rationalism]], and historical perspective of neo-Confucian doctrine appealed to the official class. By the mid-17th century, neo-Confucianism was Japan's dominant legal philosophy and contributed directly to the development of the {{lang|ja-latn|[[kokugaku]]}} (national learning) school of thought.

[[File:文字書き人形.jpg|thumb|upright=.9|A [[Karakuri puppet|''Karakuri'' puppet]] ''Moji-kaki doll'' made by [[Tanaka Hisashige]]. Using mechanical power, a puppet dips a brush into ink and writes a character on paper. 19th century]]

Advanced studies and growing applications of neo-Confucianism contributed to the transition of the social and political order from feudal norms to class- and large-group-oriented practices. The rule of the people or Confucian man was gradually replaced by the [[rule of law]]. New laws were developed, and new administrative devices were instituted. A new theory of government and a new vision of society emerged as a means of justifying more comprehensive governance by the bakufu.

Each person had a distinct place in society and was expected to work to fulfill his or her mission in life. The people were to be ruled with benevolence by those whose assigned duty it was to rule. Government was all-powerful but responsible and humane. Although the class system was influenced by neo-Confucianism, it was not identical to it. Whereas soldiers and clergy were at the bottom of the hierarchy in the Chinese model, in Japan, some members of these classes constituted the ruling elite.

Members of the samurai class adhered to bushi traditions with a renewed interest in Japanese history and cultivation of the ways of Confucian scholar-administrators. A distinct culture known as ''[[chōnindō]]'' ("the way of the townspeople") emerged in cities such as Osaka, Kyoto, and Edo. It encouraged aspiration to bushido qualities—diligence, honesty, honor, loyalty, and frugality—while blending [[Shinto]], neo-Confucian, and Buddhist beliefs. Study of mathematics, astronomy, [[cartography]], engineering, and medicine were also encouraged. Emphasis was placed on quality of workmanship, especially in the arts.

[[File:First Japanese treatise on Western anatomy.jpg|thumb|''[[Kaitai Shinsho]]'', Japan's first treatise on Western [[anatomy]], published in 1774]]Buddhism and Shinto were both still important in Tokugawa Japan. Buddhism, together with neo-Confucianism, provided standards of social behavior. Although Buddhism was not as politically powerful as it had been in the past, Buddhism continued to be espoused by the upper classes. [[Proscription|Proscriptions]] against Christianity benefited Buddhism in 1640 when the bakufu ordered everyone to register at a temple. The rigid separation of Tokugawa society into han, villages, wards, and households helped reaffirm local Shinto attachments. Shinto provided spiritual support to the political order and was an important tie between the individual and the community. Shinto also helped preserve a sense of national identity.

Shinto eventually assumed an intellectual form as shaped by neo-Confucian rationalism and materialism. The kokugaku movement emerged from the interactions of these two belief systems. Kokugaku contributed to the emperor-centered nationalism of modern Japan and the revival of Shinto as a national creed in the 18th and 19th centuries. The [[Kojiki]], [[Nihon Shoki]], and [[Man'yōshū]] were all studied anew in the search for the Japanese spirit. Some purists in the kokugaku movement, such as [[Motoori Norinaga]], even criticized the Confucian and Buddhist influences — in effect, foreign influences — for contaminating Japan's ancient ways. According to them, Japan was the land of the [[kami]] and, as such, had a special destiny.<ref>{{Harvnb|Lewis|2003|pp=45–47}}</ref>

During the period, Japan studied Western sciences and techniques (called ''[[rangaku]]'', "Dutch studies") through the information and books received through the Dutch traders in Dejima. The main areas that were studied included geography, medicine, natural sciences, astronomy, art, languages, physical sciences such as the study of electrical phenomena, and mechanical sciences as exemplified by the development of Japanese clockwatches, or [[wadokei]], inspired by Western techniques. Among those who studied mechanical science at that time, [[Tanaka Hisashige]], the founder of [[Toshiba]], is worthy of special mention. Because of the technical originality and sophistication of his [[Myriad year clock]] and [[Karakuri puppet|''karakuri'' puppet]], they are difficult to restore even today, and are considered to be a highly mechanical heritage prior to Japan's modernization.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20210704150604/https://museum.seiko.co.jp/en/knowledge/inventors_04/ Hisashige Tanaka (1799-1881).] The Seiko Museum Ginza.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20210704164744/https://www.global.toshiba/content/dam/toshiba/migration/corp/techReviewAssets/tech/review/2005/07/60_07pdf/a0501.pdf Mechanism of "Man-nen dokei," a Historic Perpetual Chronometer] Yuji Kubota (2005)</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20210704161614/https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ieiej/33/1/33_57/_pdf Karakuri Nagoya, Tradition to the modern robot.] Shobei Tamaya</ref>

=== Art, culture and entertainment ===
[[File:Red and White Plum Blossoms.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|''[[Red and White Plum Blossoms]]'' by [[Ogata Kōrin]], 1712-1716]]
In the field of art, the [[Rinpa school]] became popular. The paintings and crafts of the Rinpa school are characterized by highly decorative and showy designs using [[Gold ground|gold and silver leaves]], bold compositions with simplified objects to be drawn, repeated patterns, and a playful spirit. Important figures in the Rinpa school include [[Hon'ami Kōetsu]], [[Tawaraya Sōtatsu]], [[Ogata Kōrin]], [[Sakai Hōitsu]] and [[Suzuki Kiitsu]]. Other than the Rinpa school, [[Maruyama Ōkyo]] and [[Itō Jakuchū]] are famous for their realistic painting techniques. They produced their works under the patronage of wealthy merchants newly emerging from the economic development of this period. Following the [[Azuchi-Momoyama period]], the painters of the [[Kano school]] drew pictures on the walls and [[fusuma]]s of [[Japanese castle|castles]] and temples with the support of powerful people.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200514124121/https://media.thisisgallery.com/20199441 琳派とは？知っておきたい琳派の巨匠と代表作] January 15, 2019</ref>

[[File:Blade and Mounting for a Short Sword (Wakizashi).jpg|thumb|Mounting for ''[[wakizashi]]'' decorated with [[Japanese lacquerware|lacquer]] of ''[[maki-e]]'' technique. 18th century]]
Due to the end of the period of civil war and the development of the economy, many crafts with high artistic value were produced. Among the samurai class, arms came to be treated like works of art, and [[Japanese sword mountings]] and [[Japanese armour]] beautifully decorated with [[Japanese lacquerware|lacquer]] of ''[[maki-e]]'' technique and metal carvings became popular. Each ''[[Han system|han]]'' ([[daimyo]] domain) encouraged the production of crafts to improve their finances, and crafts such as furnishings and ''[[inro]]'' beautifully decorated with lacquer, metal or ivory became popular among rich people. The [[Kaga Domain]], which was ruled by the [[Maeda clan]], was especially enthusiastic about promoting crafts, and the area still boasts a reputation that surpasses [[Kyoto]] in crafts even today.<ref name = "murata104120">Masayuki Murata. ''明治工芸入門'' p.104. p.120. Me no Me, 2017 {{ISBN|978-4907211110}}</ref><ref>[https://www4.city.kanazawa.lg.jp/data/open/cnt/3/14186/1/2-Application-Jpn.pdf?20110125144449 Traditional Crafts of Kanazawa.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220117101218/https://www4.city.kanazawa.lg.jp/data/open/cnt/3/14186/1/2-Application-Jpn.pdf?20110125144449 |date=2022-01-17 }} [[Kanazawa City]].</ref>

For the first time, urban populations had the means and leisure time to support a new mass culture. Their search for enjoyment became known as ''[[ukiyo]]'' (the floating world), an ideal world of fashion, popular entertainment, and the discovery of aesthetic qualities in objects and actions of everyday life. This increasing interest in pursuing recreational activities helped to develop an array of new industries, many of which could be found in an area known as [[Yoshiwara]]. The district was known for being the center of Edo's developing sense of elegance and refinement.<ref>{{Harvnb|Longstreet|Longstreet|1989|p=2}}</ref> Established in 1617 as the city's shogunate-sanctioned prostitution district, it kept this designation about 250 years. Yoshiwara was home to mostly women who, due to unfortunate circumstances, found themselves working in this secluded environment.

Professional female entertainers (''[[geisha]]''), music, popular stories, ''[[Kabuki]]'' (theater) and ''[[bunraku]]'' (puppet theater), poetry, a rich literature, and art, exemplified by beautiful woodblock prints (known as ''[[ukiyo-e]]''), were all part of this flowering of culture. Literature also flourished with the talented examples of the playwright [[Chikamatsu Monzaemon]] (1653–1724) and the poet, essayist, and travel writer [[Matsuo Bashō]] (1644–1694).

[[File:Great Wave off Kanagawa2.jpg|thumb|''[[The Great Wave off Kanagawa]]'', full-colour [[ukiyo-e]] woodblock print, [[Hokusai]], {{circa|1829–1832}}]]
Ukiyo-e is a genre of painting and printmaking that developed in the late 17th century, at first depicting the entertainments of the [[Yūkaku|pleasure districts]] of Edo, such as courtesans and kabuki actors. [[Suzuki Harunobu|Harunobu]] produced the first full-colour ''[[nishiki-e]]'' prints in 1765, a form that has become synonymous to most with ukiyo-e. The genre reached a peak in technique towards the end of the century with the works of such artists as [[Torii Kiyonaga|Kiyonaga]] and [[Utamaro]]. As the Edo period came to an end a great diversity of genres proliferated: warriors, nature, folklore, and the landscapes of [[Hokusai]] and [[Hiroshige]]. The genre declined throughout the rest of the century in the face of modernization that saw ukiyo-e as both old-fashioned and laborious to produce compared to Western technologies. Ukiyo-e was a primary part of the wave of [[Japonisme]] that swept Western art in the late 19th century.

The Edo period was characterized by an unprecedented series of economic developments (despite termination of contact with the outside world) and cultural maturation, especially in terms of theater, music, and other entertainment. For example, a poetic meter for music called kinsei kouta-chō was invented during this time<ref>{{Cite book|title = Song, dance, storytelling: aspects of the performing arts in Japan|url=https://archive.org/details/songdancestoryte0000hoff|url-access = registration|publisher = China-Japan Program, Cornell University|date = 1978-06-01|language = en|first = Frank|last = Hoff|page = [https://archive.org/details/songdancestoryte0000hoff/page/130 130]}}</ref> and is still used today in folk songs. Music and theater were influenced by the social gap between the noble and commoner classes, and different arts became more defined as this gap widened.<ref name="auto2">{{Cite book|last=Nishiyama|first=Matsunosuke|url=https://archive.org/details/edoculturedailyl00nish|url-access=limited|title=Edo Culture : daily life and diversions in urban Japan, 1600-1868|date=1997|publisher=University of Hawaiì Press|isbn=0-585-30952-3|location=Honolulu, HI|pages=[https://archive.org/details/edoculturedailyl00nish/page/n194 198]–227|translator-last=Groemer|translator-first=Gerald|oclc=45728301}}</ref>

Several different types of [[kabuki]] emerged. Some, such as [[shibaraku]], were only available at a certain time of year, while some companies only performed for nobles. Fashion trends, satirization of local news stories, and advertisements were often part of kabuki theater, as well.<ref name="auto2"/> Along with kabuki, storytelling entertainments were popular among the common people, and people enjoyed [[rakugo]], a comical story, and [[kōdan]], a historical story, in a dedicated theater called [[yose]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/dglib/contents/learn/edc20/digest/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019042614/https://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/dglib/contents/learn/edc20/digest/index.html|script-title=ja:寄席早わかり|language=ja|publisher=Japan Arts Council|archive-date=19 October 2022|access-date=5 November 2022}}</ref> The most popular sport was [[sumo]].

Eating out became popular due to urbanization. Particularly popular among ordinary people were [[Yatai (food cart)|stalls serving fast food]] such as [[soba]], [[sushi]], [[tempura]], and [[unagi]], [[tofu]] restaurants, teahouses and [[izakaya]] (Japanese-style pubs). A number of [[ryotei]] also opened to serve high-class food. People enjoyed eating at restaurants by buying books that listed restaurant ratings that imitated sumo rankings.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eonet.ne.jp/~shoyu/mametisiki/reference-16.html|title=江戸の外食文化｜江戸外食文化の定着-1｜日本食文化の醤油を知る|date=December 19, 2019|access-date=July 15, 2020|archive-date=December 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219045819/http://www.eonet.ne.jp/~shoyu/mametisiki/reference-16.html|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref><ref>[https://megalodon.jp/2020-0715-1353-51/https://www.rekihaku.ac.jp:443/outline/publication/rekihaku/196/witness.html 歴史系総合誌「歴博」第196号] National Museum of Japanese History</ref>

Gardening was a popular pastime. Especially in Edo, residences of daimyo (feudal lords) of each domain were gathered, and many gardeners existed to manage these gardens, which led to the development of horticultural techniques. Among people, [[cherry blossoms]], [[morning glories]], [[Japanese iris]]es and [[chrysanthemums]] were especially popular, and [[bonsai]] using deep pots became popular. Not only did people buy plants and appreciate flowers, but they were also enthusiastic about improving the varieties of flowers, so specialized books were published one after another. For example, Matsudaira Sadatomo produced 300 varieties of iris and published a technical book.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170711154804/http://edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp/s-exhibition/special/569/%e8%8a%b1%e9%96%8b%e3%81%8f%e3%80%80%e6%b1%9f%e6%88%b8%e3%81%ae%e5%9c%92%e8%8a%b8/ 花開く江戸の園芸] Edo Tokyo Museum</ref>

Traveling became popular among people because of the improvement of roads and post towns. The main destinations were famous temples and [[Shinto shrine]]s around the country, and eating and drinking at the inns and prostitution were one of the main attractions. What people admired most was the visit to [[Ise Grand Shrine]] and the summit of [[Mount Fuji]], which are considered the most sacred places in Japan. The Ise Grand Shrine in particular has been visited by an enormous number of visitors.<ref name="auto1">[https://web.archive.org/web/20161013220353/http://cleanup.jp/life/edo/86.shtml お伊勢さま、一度は行きたい庶民の夢] Cleanup Corporation</ref><ref name="auto">[https://web.archive.org/web/20200513045734/https://sengenjinja.jp/fujikou/index.html 富士講と御師] Kitaguchihongu Sengenjinja</ref>

Historical documents record that 3.62 million people visited the shrine in 50 days in 1625. 1.18 million people visited it in three days in 1829 when the grand festival held every 20 years (''Shikinen Sengu'') was held. It was a once-in-a-lifetime event for people living in remote areas, so they set up a joint fund for each village, saved their travel expenses, and went on a group trip. Local residents of [[Ise Grand Shrine]] and [[Mount Fuji]] used to send specialized advertising personnel to various parts of Japan to solicit trips to local areas to make money from tourism.<ref name="auto1"/><ref name="auto"/>
{{Clear}}

<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" widths="200" heights="220" caption="Art, culture">
File:Reading Stand with Mount Yoshino.jpg|Reading stand with [[Mt. Yoshino]], decorated with lacquer of ''maki-e'' technique. 18th century
File:Kunimasa - taikan, The actor Ichikawa Ebizo in a shibaraku role, 1796.jpg|Ukiyo-e based on kabuki actors became popular. [[Ichikawa Danjūrō V]] in the popular kabuki play ''[[Shibaraku]]'', by [[Utagawa Kunimasa]], 1796
File:Hiroshige Bowl of Sushi.jpg|Ukiyo-e depicting ''Sushi'', by [[Hiroshige]]
File:Ando hiroshige miyakawanowatashi.jpg|A boarding place for a ferry on the [[Miya River (Mie)|Miya River]], which is crowded with people visiting Ise Grand Shrine. By Hiroshige
</gallery>

=== Fashion ===
[[File:Khalili Collection Kimono 03.jpg|thumb|upright|Outer kimono for a young woman ({{lang|ja-Latn|[[uchikake]]}}), 1840–1870, [[Khalili Collection of Kimono]]]]
Clothing acquired a wide variety of designs and decorative techniques, especially for [[kimono]] worn by women.{{sfn|Iwao|2015|p=8}} The main consumers of kimono were the samurai who used lavish clothing and other material luxuries to signal their place at the top of the social order.{{sfn|Jackson|2015|p=20}} Driven by this [[demand]], the textile industry grew and used increasingly sophisticated methods of weaving, [[dyeing]], and [[embroidery]].{{sfn|Jackson|2015|p=20}} Over this period, women adopted brighter colours and bolder designs, whereas women's and men's kimono had been very similar.{{sfn|Jackson|2015|p=22}} The rise of a [[Bourgeoisie|merchant class]] fuelled more demand for elaborate costumes. While ordinary kimono would usually be created by women at home, luxurious silk kimono were designed and created by specialist artists who were usually men.{{sfn|Jackson|2015|p=24}}

{{Multiple image
| image1            = 壽字吉祥文蒔絵印籠 - Inrō with the Characters for Longevity and Good Fortune and the “Seven Lucky Treasures” on Checkerboard Ground.jpg
| caption1          = Inro and Netsuke, 18th century
| image2            = The Four Seasons in the South, by Utagawa Toyokuni, Japan, Edo period, 1700s AD, woodblock print on paper - Tokyo National Museum - Tokyo, Japan - DSC09277.jpg
| caption2          = Ladies fashion in 1700s by Utagawa Toyokuni
| align             = left
| width             = 140
}}

A kind of kimono specific to the military elite is the {{lang|ja-Latn|goshodoki}} or "palace court style", which would be worn in the residence of a military leader (a {{lang|ja-Latn|shōgun}} or {{lang|ja-Latn|daimyo}}). These would have landscape scenes, among which there are other motifs usually referencing classic literature.{{sfn|Jackson|2015|pp=35–44}} Samurai men would dress with a more understated design with geometrical designs concentrated around the waist.{{sfn|Jackson|2015|pp=76–78}} The {{lang|ja-Latn|yogi}}, or sleeping kimono, is a thickly wadded form of wearable bedding, usually with simple designs.{{sfn|Jackson|2015|pp=93–95}}

A style called {{lang|ja-Latn|tsuma moyō}} had rich decoration from the waist down only, and family emblems on the neck and shoulders. These would be worn by women of the merchant class.{{sfn|Jackson|2015|pp=46–51}} The kimono of merchant-class women were more subdued than those of the samurai, but still with bold colours and designs representing nature.{{sfn|Jackson|2015|p=54}}

Red was a popular colour for wealthy women, partly because of its cultural association with youth and passion, and partly because the dye{{snd}}derived from [[safflower]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/kimono|title=Kimono|website=Victoria and Albert Museum|language=en|access-date=2020-02-20}}</ref>{{snd}}was very expensive, so a bright red garment was an ostentatious display of wealth.{{sfn|Jackson|2015|p=63}} Indian fabrics, brought to Japan by [[Netherlands|Dutch]] importers, were received with enthusiasm and found many uses.{{sfn|Jackson|2015|p=80}} Japanese designers started printing designs that were influenced by the Indian patterns.{{sfn|Jackson|2015|pp=80–84}} Some garments used fabric imported from Britain or France. Ownership of these exotic textiles signified wealth and taste, but they were worn as undergarments where the designs would not be seen.{{sfn|Jackson|2015|p=87}}

[[Inro]] and [[netsuke]] became popular as accessories among men. Originally, inro was a portable case to put a seal or medicine, and netsuke was a fastener attached to the case, and both were practical tools. However, from the middle of the Edo period, products with high artistic value appeared and became popular as male accessories. Especially samurai and wealthy merchants competed to buy inro of high artistic value. At the end of the Edo period, the artistic value of inro further increased and it came to be regarded as an art collection.<ref name = "murata104">Masayuki Murata. ''明治工芸入門'' pp.104-106. Me no Me, 2017 {{ISBN|978-4907211110}}</ref><ref name = "saimitsu80">Yūji Yamashita. ''明治の細密工芸'' p.80-81. Heibonsha, 2014 {{ISBN|978-4582922172}}</ref>