Samurai in Japan: Class System-Related Morphological Differences in Maxillofacial Regions in the Edo Period

Masako Kawada, Yasuhiro Shimizu, Eisaku Kanazawa and Takashi Ono
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Masako Kawada: Department of Orthodontic Science, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo 113-8549, Japan
Yasuhiro Shimizu: Department of Orthodontic Science, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo 113-8549, Japan
Eisaku Kanazawa: Department of Anatomy, Nihon University School of Dentistry, Matsudo 271-8587, Japan
Takashi Ono: Department of Orthodontic Science, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo 113-8549, Japan

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 15, 1-10

Abstract: Previous studies have reported that compared to commoners in Japan’s Edo period, samurai had long heads, more dental irregularities, and slightly worn teeth. However, these studies did not measure the mandible or only measured length. Angular analysis is essential to evaluate the maxillofacial morphology, but there are no comparative studies of samurai and commoners. This study explored the differences in maxillofacial morphology between samurai and commoners in the Edo period. Thirty male skeletons (samurai) and thirty-eight male skeletons (commoners) were used as materials from the National Museum of Nature and Science. The selected specimens were adults aged between 20 and 59 years without serious skeletal damage and with stable occlusion of the molars. We used three-dimensional scanning to measure the specimens’ skeletal, alveolar, and facial widths. The mandibular plane angle and the gonial angle were significantly larger in the samurai than in the commoners. The ratio of the intermandibular first molars, interzygomatic arch, and mandibular width was significantly shorter in the samurai than in the commoners. The samurai had a high angle tendency and smaller mandibular width than the commoners, reflecting the class system.

Keywords: maxillofacial morphology; Japanese samurai; 3D scanning; Tokyo; cephalometric analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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