Chōnin
Chōnin (町人, "townsman") was a social class that emerged in Japan during the early years of the Tokugawa period. The majority of chōnin were merchants, but some were craftsmen, as well. Nōmin (農民, farmers) were not considered chōnin. The socioeconomic ascendance of chōnin has certain similarities to the roughly contemporary rise of the middle class in the West.
Origins
By the late 17th century the prosperity and growth of Edo had begun to produce unforeseen changes in the Tokugawa social order. The chōnin, who were theoretically at the bottom of the Edo hierarchy (shinōkōshō, samurai-farmers-craftsmen-merchants, with chōnin encompassing the two latter groups), flourished socially and economically at the expense of the daimyo and samurai, who were eager to trade rice (the principal source of domainal income) for cash and consumer goods. Mass-market innovations further challenged social hierarchies. For example, vast Edo department stores had cash-only policies, which favored the chōnin with their ready cash supply.
Chūnin
Chūnin (中人, "[Ebi]chu person" or "Middle schooler", lit. "Middle person") is the first album by the Japanese girl group Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku (also called Ebichu for short). The album was released in Japan on June 24, 2013 on the Sony Music Entertainment Japan's label Defstar Records.
Background
The release was announced at on June 9, 2013 during a release event for the band's latest single "Te o Tsunagō / Kindan no Karma", held at Lazona Kawasaki Plaza Ruefer Square Grand Stage (in Kanagawa Prefecture). It was announced that it would be the band's "first full album" and it would contain the songs from their first four major-label singles, a cover of Yellow Magic Orchestra's "Taiso" and some newly written songs, 14 tracks in total.
The album was released in 3 editions: Limited Edition Ē (CD+DVD), Limited Edition Bī (CD+DVD), and Subculture Edition (CD). The Subculture Edition had a limited first press version. The Limited Editions and the first press limited version of the Subculture Edition included bonuses: a trading card (randomly selected from a set of 9 that includes a card for each member) and an application leaflet (応募チラシ).
Podcasts:
