Upper-Class Life in Seoul and in Edo in 1800 - Essay Example

Seoul grew with time and made a great political impact. Among the activities that were embraced in Seoul were sports. The change in the socio-political status of this era impacted the interest in leisure activities as well as education. Seoul people later embraced activities such as arts, learning the alphabet, painting, and drawings.

On the other hand, by the 1800s Edo was ruled by strict customs with the intention of promoting stability. Confucianism prevailed; ensuring that the social boundaries were strictly maintained, as in Seoul (Ebrey et al. 279-288). Unlike in Seoul, the Edo era consisted of four social orders; the samurai, the peasants, the merchants, and the artisans. The peasants produced the food necessary for life, unlike in Seoul where sports were embraced. Artisans produced non-food items while merchants amassed wealth without making goods, and were listed as least social. Before the 18th century, Japan was in isolation and the peasants and the samurai were poor and stagnated. In the 1800s, however, the education status of the people rose as the ban on western books was lifted. Scholars adopted Dutch books and learned mathematics, medicine, and military science. Like in Seoul, leisure and arts were embraced as well.