Merchants were the lowest of the low. If you were a merchant you were looked down upon and seen as thefts because some of them were able to get their hands on more money than people of higher classes. Because of their low status they had their own section of the city and weren't allowed to mix with anyone of any other class.
Artisians made clothes, woodblock prints, cooking utensils, weapons and much more. They sat just above merchants as far as the feudal system went and even though they were second to bottom they weren't treated nearly as bad as merchants were, although they also had their own section of the city. If you were good at your craft and lived in the right place at the right time though, you could become quite wealthy
