So, the commoners categories in Rising Sun, in the pecking order, starting from the top, are farmers, geisha and other entertainers, beggars (excluding ronin), merchants, and outcasts ("non humans").
dont forget if you dont pay proper respect to the snotty samurai chaps they are quite within thier rights to chop your head off - even if that is quite rare these days in 1773. other important historical note for your character development, only samurai were allowed surnames. - well so what you cant eat a surname!
You are at the top of the commoners pecking order, in fact, some of the lower ranking samurai are farmers as well. You are more appreciated for the simple reason that you produce the food that everyone eats, and the fact you are seen to work your butt off! Most of your life revolves around the agricultrual year.
You have fallen on hard times - maybe you are an escaped criminal, or a member of the other commoners categories, too injured or ill to work. You are considered a pest!
well thats what them snotty samurai call you. If you are something like a butcher, or undertaker (no pun intended) and you work with dead things, then you are considered not even human - however vital your services. Life is just not fair is it?