During the period, Japan progressively studied Western scientific techniques and advances (called rangaku) through the information and books received from Dutch traders in Dejima. Areas of further study included geography, medicine, natural sciences, astronomy, art, languages, physics concepts such as the study of electrical phenomena, and mechanics. There was also a great development of mathematics, in a trend totally independent of that of the Western world. This strong current was called wasan.
The flowering of Neo-Confucianism was the greatest intellectual development of the period. The study of Confucianism had long been active by Buddhist clerics, but during this time this belief system drew strong attention to the conception of man and society. Ethical humanism, rationalism and the historical perspective of Neo-Confucianism were taken as a social model. By the middle of the century, Neo-Confucianism became the dominant legal philosophy and contributed directly to the development of the national system of learning, kokugaku.[33] Its main virtue for the shogunal regime was its emphasis on relations of hierarchy, submission to superiors and obedience, which extended to the entire society and facilitated the preservation of the feudal system.[34].
The growing application of Neo-Confucianism as well as advanced study contributed to the transition of the political and economic order of social classes. New laws were developed, new administrative systems were instituted. A new vision of government and society emerged in search of a more comprehensive mandate. Each person had a different place in society and was expected to work in a way that fulfilled their mission in life. Citizens were to be governed with benevolence by those assigned to rule. The government was all-powerful, but at the same time responsible and humane. Although Neo-Confucianism influenced the social class system, it was not applied in the same way as was customary in other countries such as China, where soldiers and clerics occupied the bottom rung of social classes, while in Japan some of these members constituted the government elite.
The spiritual life experimented with traditional culture, based on Buddhist principles, and Confucian principles. Two different ways of conceiving life: Buddhism gave great importance to the otherworldly world and Confucianism gave greater strength to humanism and practice.
Members of the samurai class added the traditions of bushido to their ideology and renewed their interest in Japanese history, resulting in bushido. A new lifestyle called chōnindō emerged in cities such as Osaka, Kyoto and Edo, which aspired to achieve the qualities of busido such as diligence, honesty, honor, loyalty and frugality. The study of mathematics, astronomy, cartography, engineering and medicine was also encouraged. The search for new forms of entertainment of the new culture became known as ukiyo and included geishas, music, folk stories, theater kabuki, bunraku, poetry, and art, which is reflected in the style known as ukiyo-e. Literature also enjoyed great talents such as Chikamatsu Monzaemon or Matsuo Bashō.
Legislative and administrative transformations influenced intellectual and cultural revolutions. During the Tokugawa Order, education was developed in all areas. Various educational centers were established to meet the needs of different social classes. In each feudal domain, schools were established to teach the children of samurai families; They taught subjects of a cultural and moral nature and martial techniques.
Farmers demanded their education and instruction needs. Starting in the 19th century, terakoyas (temple schools) began to appear in which reading, writing and arithmetic were taught to children belonging to the middle class, especially in urban areas. It consisted of a class and a teacher, and twenty to thirty students attended. In rural communities there were schools for the children of wealthy members of the merchant class and farmers.
Ukiyo-e drawings began to be produced at the end of the century, but it was not until 1764 that Harunobu" produced the first polychrome print. Designers of the next generation such as Torii Kiyonaga and Utamaro created elegant representations of courtiers. The Ukiyo-e style gained great importance during the century and even many Western painters such as Edgar Degas and Vincent Van Gogh were influenced by its techniques (see Japonism).
Buddhism and Shinto remained an important part of Japanese society in the Edo period. Buddhism mixed with Neo-Confucianism provided standards of social behavior and, although they no longer had the same political force as in the past, it was promoted and practiced by the upper classes. With the ban on Christianity in 1640, Buddhism benefited, since the bakufu ordered that all inhabitants had to register in one of the temples. In this way, while Buddhism served as a social basis, Shintoism served as a basis for the political system and helped preserve national identity.