Compare and contrast upper-class life in 1800 in Seoul with life in Essay

Compare and contrast upper-class life in 1800 in Seoul with life in the same era in Edo. Be sure to include information on education and leisure activities - Essay Example Seoul grew with time and made great political impact. Among the activities that were embraced in Seoul were sports. The change in socio-political status of this era impacted on the interest in leisure activities as well as the education. Seoul people later embraced activities such as arts, learning the alphabets, painting, and drawings. On the other hand, by 1800’s 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 least socially. Before the 18th century, Japan was in isolation and the peasants and the samurai were poor and stagnated. In 1800’s, however, the education status of the people rose as the ban on western books was lifted. Scholars adopted Dutch books and learnt mathematics, medicine, and military science. Like in the Seoul, leisure and arts were embraced as