Metsuke refers to the surveillance and monitoring system established during the Tokugawa shogunate in Japan, aimed at ensuring social order and political stability. This system was primarily implemented through a network of spies and informants, who reported on the activities of various social classes, particularly the samurai and the daimyōs. Metsuke played a crucial role in reinforcing the strict social hierarchy and maintaining control over the population, which was essential for the Tokugawa regime's centralized authority.
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