Gōnō

They held considerable wealth and power in local communities, and aside from being major landowners, some owned small rural industries or served as village officials (such as nanushi).

The gōnō received land rent from the tenant farmers and bought the majority of their produce by lending in advance to corner the market.

[3] They played an important role in political economy around the time of Meiji Restoration, and they are generally recognized to have been involved in the intrinsic development of capitalism.

Many gōnō began to demand a place for their opinions to be heard, such as a citizen assembly or a national diet, and criticized the Meiji oligarchy.

[1] This, along with the collapse of the civil rights movement and the negative effects of Matsukata Deflation caused by the Satsuma Rebellion, drove the gōnō class into recession.