Kate Powell 1

Kate Powell
Mr. Mittelstaedt
ENG 335
10.25.2

Discrimination in Japan
Discrimination has been a problem in the U.S. for a long time not just against
other races, but also against women, homosexuals, and those of various religious
backgrounds, as well as others. But what about other countries, like Japan? Is there
discrimination in a country so far removed from the U.S. and its social problems? As a
matter fact there is. The government tends not to acknowledge it (Human Rights),
but it is there and it is quite prevalent. For a people who value conformity as much as
the Japanese do, it is a wonder there arent harsher and more extreme cases of
discrimination in Japan. In Japan there are five major minorities that are still
discriminated against today:Burakumin (a caste-based group); Okinawans(an
indigenous group); Ainu(an indigenous group); Japanese-born Koreans; and migrant
workers from other countries.(Human Rights) However, I will focus only upon the
Burkumin.
The modern day Burakumin are the descendents of an indigenous group of
people who have been discriminated against for centuries: In the Tokugawa era
Japanese society was divided into four categories: the Samurai at the top, followed in
order by farmers, artisans and merchants. But below those people was another
group.[like]an oval beneath [a] pyramid shaded black like a puddle of mud. They
were called eta, the people of filth. Everyone studies the top four groups, but not

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everyone knows about the eta (Feiler 241).These people had the occupations that
involved animals such as butchers, tanners, and leather workers. Buddhist taboos
against the killing of animals coupled with Shinto fears of uncleanliness (Feiler 241),
and the idea that this impurity would contaminate others, led an entire group of
people to be discriminated against, ostracized, and isolated (Henshall 49). The
Samurai lords even gave the eta special names (Feiler 241), and stipulated that they
could not walk, talk, or inter-marry with other classes (Henshall 49). Also in The
Tokugawa period [the Buraku] settlements were omitted from maps, they had to
wear certain types of clothing and display identification markers. They were also
banned from using the Shinto shrines or temples.... [and] In 1859 it was ruled that the
life an eta was worth only one-seventh of that of an ordinary person (Henshall 50).
These discriminations showed how much of a class oriented society feudal Japan was.
These ideas of class-discrimination have managed to persist into the 20th even 21st
centuries (Henshall 50).
The first constitution of Japan even outlawed the discrimination of the eta, or
the Burkumin as they were renamed in the 20th century; however the discrimination
continued. Even though it is illegal, discrimination against these people is still seen
today. Many companies buy black lists so that they can check if a prospective
employee is of Burkaumin descent. Some families even higher private investigators to
check the background and ancestry of an intended bride or groom (Henshall 50).
These black lists are supposedly archived and not made public, but still people find
ways to get information on possible Burkumin either through a private detective or
via an electronic version of the black list (Henshall 50). In the Meiji era, when

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discrimination was first outlawed the Burkaumin were still not treated as free and
true Japanese citizens; they were allowed to only take certain professions, and,
unlike the Samurai, they did not receive money from the government to help them
integrate themselves into the society (Feiler 242). In respect to the Buraku people,
Hamano Kenzo, a teacher in Japan said: Although they looked, talked, and dressed
like all other Japanese [they] still lived apart. They were, in effect, an invincible
race (Feiler 242). This prejudice is still seen today in Japan and quite harshly.
Discrimination by the masses for being of Buraku descent is felt by some to be too
much and they try to pass as mainstream Japanese, which is strictly punished
(Human Rights).
After WWII the Buraku Liberation movement went under the name the National
Committee for Buraku Liberation which was later formed into the Buraku Liberation
League (Buraku Liberation). This League has accomplished a great deal for the Buraku
people. They urged the government to take legal action in the improvement of Dowa
projects (Buraku Liberation). Dowa Areas is the administrative term for officially
registered Buraku communities(Buraku Problem). Article 14 of the constitution even
states [a]ll of the people are equal under the law and there shall be no
discrimination in political, economic, or social relations because of race, creed, sex,
social status, or family origin (Buraku Problem). There are some 2 million outcasts
in around 5,000 settlements (Henshall 49). Because of this statistic the League
demanded that the government improve living conditions in Buraku communities
which were in bad condition due to the neglect of government services (Buraku
Problem). It also pushed the government into teaching children about discrimination

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as well as giving the Buraku, or other minority students, classes after school to help
them with entrance exams for junior and senior high schools as well as universities
(Feiler 242).
Though modern laws have eliminated this segregated system, its legacy still
pollutes the minds of some children today who have inherited the prejudices of the
past (Feiler 240-241). instead of trying to pass as conventional Japanese some
feeling the pressures of being different, specifically Buraku, are too great, resort to
other, darker, more extreme measures. In Bruce S. Feilers novel Learning to Bow he
gives the true story of a young boy, Saikawa Kenzo, in one of the classes he was
teaching English to at Sano Junior High:
They teased him about his name --- Saikawa --- and the
exclusive classes he attended after school with several
other students. You get all this special treatment,
Takajima had chided him many times, but with me you
are not so specialHe was alone, but somebody seemed to
be calling out to him. He heard the voices: kusai, baikin,
hinin --- dirty, stinking, doglike boy.Kenzo thought
everyone knew about this. They could look into his eyes
and know he was alone. They could look beneath his
clothes and see the scars where some of the boys in the
basketball club pressed burning cigarettes against his
arms. At 7:45 in the morning Kenzo Saikawa walked
alone to the edge of a third floor balcony at Sano Junior

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High, stepped over the concrete wall and reached for a

sound that would silence the words that echoed in his
heart: You are different. You dont belong (Feiler 239240).

There are many possible solutions to the problem of discrimination in Japan.

One way is to make the Buraku settlements disappear and to do away completely with
the teachings of the Buraku people (Tomonaga). This is not the right direction to head
in, however. Another way would be to allow the Buraku communities to exist and to
eliminate the discrimination of the Buraku people (Tomonaga). This is a good start.
How then to go about enacting these changes? First Japan needs to take a more
decisive look at some of their policies that have reinforced discrimination within their
society (Human Rights). The social mindset also needs to change, and the government
can start by approving and executing international conventions on the problem
(Human Rights). The government also needs to stop applying such a seemingly dual
policy of trying to assimilate a minority, but then also putting up measures to
segregate them (Human Rights). Japan needs to outlaw discrimination (Tomonaga),
and consult with the various minority groups within Japan, not just the Buraku, in the
formation of these new laws (BBC news). The government also needs to give effective
compensation to the victims of such unjust discrimination. As well as taking measures
to improving the living conditions within the Buraku communities. Discriminatory
ideas need to be eradicated by educating the people on the problem. And finally, the

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government needs to promote the idea of living with a mutual respect for identity.
That is, each group respects the other groups history and culture (Tomonaga).
It can be said that, to an extent, everyone is racist, nationalistic, sexist,
ageist, etc. and that the only thing that really changes from country to country is the
degree, frequency, target, intensity, and the way it is expressed (American
Chronicle). The Japanese racism is non-violent [and] is expressed more in the form
of polite but firm exclusion(American Chronicle). They excluded, isolated, and
ostracized the Buraku people for centuries, and still do. While the Japanese form of
discrimination is not irate violence or out-right prejudice toward another (American
Chronicle), it is just as dangerous. In the case of Saikawa Kenzo, and so many others,
this form of discrimination is far from non-violent. This non-violent discrimination
has led to the suicide of many individuals due to the pressures they felt for being
different in such a conformity conscious society.
The discrimination of the Buraku people has been going on for centuries and
though the situation is getting better (Human Rights), they still have a long way to go.
The government could start with outlawing discrimination and consulting with the
minorities found within their borders on the best laws to be enacted to abolish
discrimination. They also need to give compensation for the victims of discrimination;
as well as improve the living conditions within the Buraku communities. Possibly the
most important thing is to change the mentality of the society by educating them on
such a serious problem, and realize the need for a lifestyle of mutual respect for each
others respective histories and cultures.