Whilst it can be said the goshi from Tosa domain were samurai, they suffered from systematic discrimination compared to other domains resulting in a situation where although the upper samurai ranks of Tosa were domain samurai all the same, there was latent confrontation and antagonism.
土佐藩における郷士は武士とはいえ、他藩に比べると徹底した差別下にあったため土佐藩上士とは同じ藩士とはいえ潜在的には対立、敵対関係にあったとされる。