町人是日本江户时代一种人民的称呼，他们主要是商人，部份人是工匠以及从事工业的工作。虽然他们在江户幕府的士农工商的身份制度下是最低的两级，但是他们的凭着商业买卖以及独有工作技能，所以部份町人的财力还要较武士阶层的大名为高，町人在江户时代的中期，开始形成独特的文化，例如是元禄文化以及是化政文化。此外他们可以在町内（一般是城堡的城下町），拥有自治的权力。此一阶级除了包含不仅包括了富有的金融家与批发商，亦也包含了穷困的工匠、商贩、以及零工。

武士十分歧视商人，戴季陶的《日本论》中有一字眼形容商人，叫町人根性，是武士骂商人时说的，町人好计算、短视、贪心、性格下三流，是给奴才做奴才的奴才。

Chōnin(町人, "townsman") was a social class that emerged in Japan during the early years of the Tokugawa period. The majority of chōnin were merchants, but some were craftsmen, as well. Nōmin(农民, "farmers") were not considered chōnin. The socioeconomic ascendance of chōnin has certain similarities to the roughly contemporary rise of the middle class in the West.