One thing that I find interesting about this is that "samurai lived in dignified but extreme poverty" but never really did anything to threaten the state and take its riches for themselves for hundreds of years, despite all of them being crammed together with lots of opportunity to organize an enormous rebellion right in the city where the king lived. Perhaps they didn't think of it as poverty. Anyway, great read.
It was likely the kind of poverty where they never had any money, always had debt, but never were in any danger of starvation due to their status. It was just enough to keep them from rebellion but a lot of personal trouble to keep them from too much personal ambition as well.