Kai (History) - Kai

...However, after the Nanboku-cho period, the differentiation of trades into merchants, craftsmen, and performers, and the functions of each of these trades progressed, and many craftsmen, apart from merchants, established houses in their bases in Tsu, Tomari, and Watari, or settled in cities and inns on riverbanks and sandbars, narrowing the range of their travels. Thus, autonomous towns (cities) led by self-governing bodies calling themselves Kugai (public domains) and Egoushu (assembly groups) began to develop in these places, which were originally asylum-like in character.
[Servant]
Unlike commoners and craftsmen, unfree people (servants or servants) were under the private protection and servitude of specific masters and were bought, sold, or given away, but it is unclear to what extent they constituted a significant proportion of society.

*Some of the terminology that mentions "Kai (history)" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…しかし南北朝期以降，商人，手工業者，芸能民，さらにそのそれぞれの職能の分化が進み，一方では商人を別として，多くの職人は本拠地の津，泊，渡などに〈屋〉を構えて集住，あるいは河原･中州などに立つ市･宿に定着し，遍歴の範囲を狭めていった。こうして，元来アジール的な性格をもつそのような場に，みずからを公界（くがい）と称する自治体，会合衆（えごうしゆう）などに指導される自治的な町(都市)が成長していくのである。
【下人】
　平民，職人と異なり，特定の主の私的な保護･隷属の下におかれ，売買･譲与された不自由民(下人あるいは所従（しよじゆう）)が社会のなかでどの程度の比重を占めていたかは明らかでない。…

※「界（歴史）」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報