Others

One of the lowest class of the Middle Ages was called "Eta", or "Hinin". They were totally separated from upper classes of people. Eta and Hinin people were distinguished from other people by their living quarters, the cloth their clothese were made of, and their hairstyle. Eta people worked on the lands and made leather, but they were also forced to handle dead cows and horses. Eta were also forced to carry out criminal's penalties. Some people became Hinin because of their poverty or penalty for crime. They engaged in guarding and cleaning their village or town.

There are some other classes in the social structure besides samurai, farmers, and merchants. For example, court nobles, priests, and oracles belonged to the upper class in addition to the samurai. The priests were teachers at Terakoya schools where they taught reading, writing, and abacuses. Sometimes they became the intercession of the disputes among villagers. The oracles also provided medical services.