From the Emperor Down | God's World News
From the Emperor Down
Jet Balloon
Posted: February 19, 2019

Emperor

Today, Emperor Akihito has the love and respect of his nation. But there was a time when the Japanese people gave emperors more than honor. People actually worshipped them as if they were descended from gods. Does that seem strange? This might too: Even though they were treated as god-like, most of Japan’s emperors had little real power. From the 1100s to 1800s, Japan’s people thought of themselves as belonging to one of several levels or classes of society. That thinking came from the ideas of Confucius, an ancient Chinese religious leader and teacher.

Shogun, Daimyo, and Samurai Warriors

Samurai warriors served daimyo lords and lived in their castles. Every daimyo in turn answered to a shogun. A shogun was the commander of a vast army made up of daimyo lords and samurai.

Growers

The ideas of Confucius said farmers were an honored class. Although they were often poor, they were respected for producing the food needed by people of every level.

Makers

This class of people included skilled professionals who did such things as sew clothes, build boats, and make weapons or tools. These artisans had their own areas of the city to live and work.

Buyers and Sellers

Today, people who make a lot of money buying, selling, and banking are often admired. But the ideas of Confucius said that merchants lived off the skilled work of artisans, the produce of farmers, and the protection of warriors. So they were the least respected. Except for when they needed to buy and sell, people stayed away from the business class.

God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him. — Acts 10:34-35