Zato (座頭)
Zato
Zato is one of the social classes of the blind during the Edo period in Japan. The word had also come to be used to refer to masseurs, acupuncturists, and biwa-playing minstrels.
The origin of this word is Todo-za (the traditional guild for the blind).
The word was originally one of the titles for biwa-playing minstrels who played Heikyoku (a narrative which features the Tale of the Heike playing Biwa music): 'Kengyo' (the highest title of the official ranks within the Todo-za), 'Betto' (superintendent), 'Koto' (the third title of the official ranks within the Todo-za), and 'Zato.'
Biwa-playing minstrels, who were often blind from ancient times, began forming a group called 'Todo-za,' a group of professionals who narrated the "Heike Monogatari" (Tale of the Heike), from around the Kamakura period, and this association (za) functioned as the authority and an organization that provided mutual aid for the members. According to group regulations of the association, they were divided into four official court ranks: Kengyo, Betto, Koto, and Zato, and further divided into 73 ranks. It was possible to make a request and get higher official court ranks as long as they belonged to Todo-za and fulfilled their responsibilities of their job, however, it took so much time to gain a higher position that they could not even promote to kengyo in their whole life. Therefore, it was allowed to get a higher official position faster by exchanging it with money.
In the Edo period, Todo-za received the official permission and protection as the group of the blind. Around this time, Heikyoku became gradually unpopular and the main jobs of Todo-za became the players or composers of jiuta shamisen (traditional Japanese shamisen music), sokyoku (koto music), kokyu (Chinese fiddle), acupunctures, and masseurs. As a result, these protection policies of the blind became a major cause for the development of music during the Edo period and acupuncture technology. Also, some blind people worked in the show business such as zato sumo or became unscrupulous moneylenders because high interest money lending business was officially approved around the Genroku era to help the blind to get money for the promotion of the official court rank.
However, it is said that the protection for the blind was abolished in 1868.