The Rice Riots
Japan is no stranger to riots. The Edo shōgunate’s biggest headache was trying to keep the country’s economy stable through numerous challenges, including droughts brought about by earthquakes and volcanoes, and a particular shōgun who prioritised dogs over his own people. When the shōgunate failed to stabilise the economy, farmers would riot. And while these riots tended to die down quickly, the shōgunate realised that…