Samurai Game: The Ledger of Redress

Can you reclaim your honor and dismantle a corrupt legacy?

Co-authored by Kylie Hu

Last Updated: June 30, 2026 Fact Checked

Glory, honor, and fidelity are but distant dreams for you, a disgraced rōnin. Though you once served the great and powerful Tachibana Clan, you have been cast out after being framed for an unspeakable atrocity. Unbeknownst to everyone else, you carry the Ledger of Redress, a secret record of the clan’s buried sins and blood debts across Japan. Could a lost, wandering soul like you ever face your past wrongs and forge a path to redemption? Play now to find out.

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An illustration of an armored samurai wielding a sowrd against a green background.

Social Hierarchy in the Edo Period of Japan

The Edo period was a period in Japanese history from the 17th century all the way until the mid-19th century. During this time, Japan was ruled by a military class and characterized by strict social hierarchies. Learn more about these different social hierarchies, including the role of Samurai, with this brief summary below!

The Emperor: The emperor was held in high esteem and sat at the top of the class hierarchy, yet had little actual political power. A figurehead whose main political function was to recognize the shōgun, the emperor's role was more symbolic than powerful.^{[1]
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Court Nobility (Kuge): The court nobility were the imperial cohort of the emperor. Owing to the emperor’s largely symbolic status, the kuge too were rendered prestigious yet politically powerless. They held influence mainly in cultural or artistic pursuits.^{[2]
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Shōgun: The shōgun was a prominent military general of the samurai class and the central ruling power in this chapter of Japan’s history. The shōgun directed the flow of politics and presided over the military, essentially all the responsibilities one would have expected of the emperor.^{[3]
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Daimyō: The daimyō were the premier members of the samurai (see below) who, along with the shōgun, held the political reins of the country. They presided over large domains and oversaw the administration within these domains.^{[4]
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Samurai: Samurai were the warrior class that was employed by the daimyō, and held special privileges like the possession of weapons. They trained in combat and weaponry and were regarded as morally exemplary and high-status, though within their own ranks, samurai did fall into poverty on account of their meager compensation.^{[5]
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Peasants: Peasants farmed on the lands of the daimyō and had to pay taxes to their feudal lords. They produced food for their families as well as for the higher ranks of society, and their lives mostly centered around their agriculture.^{[7]
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Artisans: Artisans provided arts and wares for the daimyō and samurai classes who had the time and the means to enjoy the finer things in life. Though their products were valued, artisans themselves were not high-status.^{[8]
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Merchants: Merchants were regarded at the bottom of the officially-recognized social hierarchy, but their dealings with wealth often increased their power and influence. The Edo period saw the rise of mercantile displays of wealth that influenced Japanese history to come.^{[9]
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Outcasts from the Official Hierarchy: Outside of the officially-recognized class system were the burakumin, commoners whose occupations were deemed impure, and ethnic minorities who were subject to harsh treatment and poor conditions.^{[10]
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Having gotten a better sense of Edo Japan and its inner workings, transport yourself to this era with our Samurai Game that will explore the complicated politics of being a disgraced samurai.