The Burakumin - Social Outcasts of Japan

-The Burakumin are a minority group in Japan that have historically been considered the "untouchable" class.  They have endured centuries of discrimination that continues today. 

 -Although it is has been claimed that the Burakumin aren't "real" Japanese (that they are of Ainu, Chinese, or Korean descent) but there is no evidence to support this.  They only reason they became a distinguishible minority is because they lived together in outcast communities for generations that set them apart from the rest of the Japanese population.

History of the Burakumin

-The Burakumin seemed to be defined early on as people that participated in undesirable jobs such as butchers, leather workers, grave-diggers, tanners, executioners and many other "dirty" jobs such as wastehandling  (and sometimes entertainment).  Having these undesirable jobs put these people in a social class that was below that of peasants.  It's hard to tell exactly when they became the bottom of society, but eventually feudal law set definite social boundaries that clearly made the Burakumin "untouchable".  The Burakumin could possibly have existed as an informal class since as far back as the 6th Century.

The Burakumin were constituted as a class under the Edo shogunate's social order (warriors, farmers, artisans, merchants) so that oppressed peasants could aim their suppressed feelings and anger downward at the outcast class.  The Burakumin were made a legally distinguishable social class during the Edo or Tokugawa period (1600-1868).

How Shintoism Caused this Discrimination

Shinto and Buddhist beliefs of "spiritual pollution" were most likely the cause of their discrimination.  Shinto beliefs taught that goodness and godliness were closely related to cleanliness and purity.   Although their professions were necessary for the society, participating in acts of habitually killing animals, people, or working with peices of dead animals (such as butchers or tanners) would "seriously contaminate" people with impurity, thus making them more likely to be sinful or evil.

-It was also believed that these impurities could be spread to other people; which made it necessary to separate these people from the rest of society.  The Burakumin were forced to form separate communities to separate themselves from other Japanese, usually on the outskirts of towns or villages.  These impurities were also considered hereditary, so these people were often not allowed to leave the communities of their birth.  These practices made it easier to discriminate people that were part of this "untouchable" class.  Other words for people of the Burakumin class were Eta (pollution in abundance) or binin (nonhuman). 

"Liberation" of the Burakumin

-In 1871 the Meijing government passed the "Emancipation Edict" which tried to dissolve the social classes.  However, no effective laws were passed to protect the rights of people that would be considered Burakumin.  Some Burakus themselves founded the National Levelers Association in 1922 to try and fight against the discrimination they were facing.  Several Buraku liberation movements started up, but it wasn't until 1965 that the national government recognized Buraku discrimination as a real problem.  It wasn't until this time that any effective laws were passed in protecting the rights of the Burakumin.

The Burakumin Today

Discrimination against these people continues to this day, but it is much more discreet than it once was.  If it is rumored that someone is descended from the Burakumin, then they may have a harder time finding a job or getting married.  However, most Japanese today try to avoid the subject of Burakumin.  There are about 3 million people living in over 6000 communities in Japan today that could be considered Burakumin, and they get very angry and offended if anyone mentions the subject.  Any public discussion of the group often sparks outrage.  It seems that the issue is something that the Japanese have tried to "sweep under the rug".