54Lifestyles of people of the Saga Domain during the Edo Period

Toward the end of the Edo Period, the Saga Domain was home to over 400,000 people. Most of these residents engaged in agriculture or fishing, and some were artisans or tradesmen. Famous characteristic industries include the production of Arita ceramics, Ureshino tea, wax in the eastern region of Saga, and coal mining in Imari. These people were ruled by the samurai class, which accounted for a maximum of 10% of the entire population. The domain schools, where children of the samurai families received education, were established in various locations, including Kodo-kan of the Saga Domain. Smaller educational facilities for children of the common people called terakoya were set up in roughly 450 locations. This is twice the number of elementary schools in Saga Prefecture today.