Hi! I'm writing a story that is set in 16th century Japan. I've been researching it for about 3 years and have acquired numerous books describing the lives of the members of the upper echelon of society. But there seems to be precious little on the lives of those of lesser rank. Can anyone suggest any titles (ideally still in print) that may shed light on the lives of farmers, merchants, etc. in Sengoku Japan? (BTW - I already have the Oxford History of Japan). Thanks!
Hey! As u/Georgy_K_Zhukov mentioned, would definitely recommend checking out our booklist. Would specifically recommend the book in there, The World Turned Upside Down: Medieval Japanese Society by Pierre Francois Souyri. It does not focus on Sengoku period nor peasants and merchants exclusively, but it does have parts which look into this topic.
Japan in the Muromachi Age , edited by John W Hall and Toyoda Takeshi, is a collection of essays from different historians on varying topics pertaining to the Muromachi period. Two essays in particular, 'From Shōen to Chigyō: Proprietary Lordship and the Structure of Local Power' by Miyagawa Mitsuru, and 'Village Communities and Daimyo Power' by Nagahara Keiji, offer some perspective on life for peasants and cultivators. Two other essays, 'The Growth of Commerce and the Trades' by Toyoda Takeshi and Sugiyama Hiroshi, and 'Sakai: From Shōen to Port City' has information pertaining to merchants and artisans.
Another book that has information on the groups of people your interested in reading about is Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan by William E. Deal. It also has some information on daily life in Japan in Kamakura through Edo period which would might be valuable for your story!
I had written a response on the subreddit which focused on the peasants and merchants in pre-modern Japan. I provided citations throughout the response, so if you were looking for more potential sources, it could be helpful. The link for that response is here .
Hope this helps!
I'm currently writing a history book about life in a provincial city during the Sengoku period. I'm focusing on Ichijodani, the capital of the Asakura clan who ruled Echizen from the time of the Onin War until the destruction of the city by Oda Nobunaga in 1573. I've written a preview based on my research here: https://www.dayofarchaeology.com/author/mpitelka/