Buraku Problem Q&A
Many journalists, researchers and students from abroad come to visit us at the BLHRRI. Although they come from different parts of the world, they come to us to learn more about Buraku problems and ask for much information. Among the many questions asked us, we picked out those most frequently asked in these occasions, and will try to answer them as a new series of"Q&A"in this news letter. We hope this will be a help in understanding Buraku problems.
Q Buraku people are discriminated against because they live together in their own communities, aren't they?
I think they wouldn't be recognized if they live apart in different places.
A Whether one is a Buraku person or not, most of us live in communities. It is very common for human beings to live in communities. For example, in 'shataku`(housing built by corporations for their employees), people of the same trade live together. Housing built by a developer attracts people who have a similar income, age, and family structure, because a certain amount of income is required to live there. But we have never heard about discrimination against those who live in such housing communities. Therefore, living in collective communities is not a reason for Buraku people to be discriminated against. Why, then, did Buraku people start living in their communities?
In the Edo era, the movement of Buraku people was restricted and they were not allowed to choose the places where they wanted to live, due to the discrimination policy of the Shogunate. They were forced to live in inconvenient, mountainous areas or swamps near the rivers. Since the Meiji era, everybody has had the freedom to choose where to live, but the situation of the Buraku has not changed. It is partly because they have been deprived of the right of access of jobs and education, which resulted in a lack of opportunities to live outside the Buraku communities. They have managed to survive in the community by helping each other and by attending to families, relatives and neighbors.
If someone had dared to move out of the Buraku where he came from, would have been discovered by his neighbors and he would have been expelled. It was also hard for an 'exiled Buraku person` to keep up with the Joneses' in his new neighborhood. He could not help but go back to his old community.
In the first place, one should be free to decide where to live. No one should force Buraku people to move out of their communities. The Japanese Constitution states "Everyone has the freedom to reside, move and choose one's occupation. "" It should be by their free choice to decide whether to move out or not, and where to live
Just as everybody has his own home town, Buraku communities are the home towns for Buraku people. No one can deprive then of their home towns which they loved very much. It is most essential that we make our society one where Buraku people, no matter where they live, and free from both psychological and material discrimination. Discrimination itself should also be eliminated.
In 1941 before the war, a Buraku community in Gifu prefecture was compulsorily dissolved. After several years most of the residents came back anyway. Some Buraku communities in big cities were completely burnt down by air-raids or by the atomic bombings. Many people returned to their Buraku communities after they were reconstructed. Because a discrimination against the Buraku still remains, they would have harder operation if they lived isolated from their communities, and could not obtain jobs there.
By the way, how would you feel if a stranger asked you, "Why don't you move out, because your place is not good?" You probably would not feel comfortable about it. On the notion that something ugly and filthy had better be shattered down. But something we really should shatter down is our attitude to discriminate against the Buraku.