Peasants were given an unusually high class in the hierarchy of Japan. They are considered above artisans and merchants. The reason that they have a higher class is because the Japanese realize that the peasants grow food that all other classes depend on. Unfortunately, some people didn't realize this. For example, during the rule Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu, farmers were required to give all rice to daimyo, then wait for him to give back some "charity." Another example is the crushing tax rate. Artisans produced all kinds of goods, including utensils, swords, and clothes. They lived in their own sections of the cities and were segregated from the samurai, and the merchants.