January/March 2005 No.134

GRASPING THE REALITY OF TODAY'S BURAKU
towards a post-special-measures solution to the Buraku problem

This is a series of articles summarizing the report entitled, "Study of Actual Conditions of Dowa Districts towards a Solution of Dowa Problem," prepared by the local government of Osaka Prefecture in March, 2001 when the Law on Special Budgetary Measures Concerning Projects designated for Area Improvement became invalid. The report aimed at providing information for developing strategies in combating Buraku discrimination in the Post-Special-Measures era.

PART 6 ? Marriage
1. Types of Marriage

The survey shows that 26.2% of marriages are those in which both wife and husband are from Dowa area, 35.1% are those in which one spouse is from Dowa area, and 25.4% are those in which neither spouse is from a Dowa area. An examination of these figures by time reveals that the percentage of marriages in which both husband and wife are from Dowa areas has been annually declining, while that for marriages in which only one spouse is from a Dowa area has been on the rise. The percentage of marriages in which neither spouse is from a Dowa area has only slightly decreased. A similar pattern can be seen in the increase of intermarriage among younger generations.

Table 2-1 Numbers of Responses by Marriage Types

Number of relevant responses	Both are from Dowa area	Either one is from Dowa area	Husband is from Dowa area	Wife is from Dowa area	Both are not from Dowa area	Others and unknown
4,256	1,113	1,493	877	616	1,083	567
100.0%	26.2%	35.1%	20.6%	14.5%	25.4%	13.3%

Table 2-2: Types of Marriage by the Time of Marriage

	Relevant number	Both are from Dowa area	Either one is from Dowa area	Both are not from Dowa area	Others and unknown
total number	4,256	1,113	1,493	1,083	567
total number	100.0%	26.2%	35.1%	25.4%	13.3%
before 1950	302	140	60	63	39
before 1950	100.0%	46.4%	19.9%	20.9%	12.9%
1951-1960	637	246	149	172	70
1951-1960	100.0%	38.6%	23.4%	27.0%	11.0%
1961-1970	987	279	290	277	141
1961-1970	100.0%	28.3%	29.4%	28.1%	14.3%
1971-1980	775	198	275	208	94
1971-1980	100.0%	25.5%	35.5%	26.8%	12.1%
1981-1990	757	142	331	178	106
1981-1990	100.0%	18.8%	43.7%	23.5%	14.0%
after 1991	705	86	365	156	98
after 1991	100.0%	12.2%	51.8%	22.1%	13.9%

2. Birth Places of Spouses and How Couples Met

(1) Birth Places of Spouses

Spousal birth places were divided by age group for those who were born in their current areas of residence.

In general, 31.8% were born in their current area of residence, 31.2% were born in other prefectures and 21.8% were born in Osaka Prefecture. Also, 13.3% were born either in neighboring areas or in the same city as their spouse. Thus, the percentage of those born in neighboring areas was the lowest.

However, among younger generations, the percentages of those born in their current area of residence or in other prefectures were lower, while the percentages of those born in neighboring areas, the same city or Osaka Prefecture were higher. For example, for people aged 30 or younger, 16.5% were born in their current area of residence, 21.7% in other prefectures, and 33.0% in Osaka Prefecture. On the other hand, 27.8% were born in neighboring areas or the same city.

Among those who consider themselves to be from Dowa areas and their spouses not from Dowa areas, the birth places of spouses among younger generations tend to be more in either the same city or Osaka Prefecture, and less in other prefectures.

Table 2-4: Birth place by age for spouses of those who were born in their current Dowa area of residence

Age	Number of People	Current Area of Residence	Neighboring Area	Same City	Osaka Prefecture	Other Prefecture	Overseas	Unknown
Total	1,637	521	97	120	357	510	23	9
Total	100.0%	31.8%	5.9%	7.3%	21.8%	31.2%	1.4%	0.5%
15-29	115	19	12	20	38	25	-	1
15-29	100.0%	16.5%	10.4%	17.4%	33.0%	21.7%	-	0.9%
30-39	248	51	20	28	81	63	4	1
30-39	100.0%	20.6%	8.1%	11.3%	32.7%	25.4%	1.6%	0.4%
40-49	304	79	18	25	69	105	5	3
40-49	100.0%	26.0%	5.9%	8.2%	22.7%	34.5%	1.6%	1.0%
50-59	402	133	14	28	70	147	8	2
50-59	100.0%	33.1%	3.5%	7.0%	17.4%	36.6%	2.0%	0.5%
60-69	365	140	22	12	62	123	4	2
60-69	100.0%	38.4%	6.0%	3.3%	17.0%	33.7%	1.1%	0.5%
Over 70	203	99	11	7	37	47	2	-
Over 70	100.0%	48.8%	5.4%	3.4%	18.2%	23.2%	1.0%	-

Table 2-5: Birth place by age for those not from a Dowa area, but whose spounses are from a Dowa area

Age	Number of People	Current Area of Residence	Neighboring Area	Same City	Osaka Prefecture	Other Prefecture	Overseas	Unknown
Total	790	16	45	85	243	377	23	1
Total	100.0%	2.0%	5.7%	10.8%	30.8%	47.7%	2.9%	0.1%
15-29	81	1	7	17	35	21	-	-
15-29	100.0%	1.2%	8.6%	21.0%	43.2%	25.9%		-
30-39	179	3	12	25	78	56	5	-
30-39	100.0%	1.7%	6.7%	14.0%	43.6%	31.3%	2.8%	-
40-49	161	1	8	21	49	77	4	1
40-49	100.0%	0.6%	5.0%	13.0%	30.4%	47.8%	2.5%	0.6%
50-59	175	8	8	14	45	97	3	-
50-59	100.0%	4.6%	4.6%	8.0%	25.7%	55.4%	1.7%	-
60-69	141	1	8	7	23	95	7	-
60-69	100.0%	0.7%	5.7%	5.0%	16.3%	67.4%	5.0%	-
Over 70	53	2	2	1	13	31	4	-
Over 70	100.0%	3.8%	3.8%	1.9%	24.5%	58.5%	7.5%	-

(2) How Couples Met

In those marriages where one spouse was born in their current area of residence and one spouse was born outside it, the most common response (over 35%) to the question of how they met was "through mediation by friends or acquaintances."

However, only 28.8% of marriages in which both spouses were born in their current area of residence, and 20.4% of marriages in which both were born outside it, elicited the same response.

On the other hand, 17.4% of those who were both born in their current area of residence, and 22.6% who were both born outside it, met in their work place.

For those who responded that they met at school, such schools are classified by academic background, as is shown in table 2-7.

Table 2-6: Where Couples Met Each Other

birth places of respondents	relevant numbers	through relatives	through friends	in schools	in work places	cultural or volunteer activities	through liberation movement	others	unknown
total	4,256	1,006	1,559	199	877	81	75	421	38
total	100.0%	23.6%	36.6%	4.7%	20.6%	1.9%	1.8%	9.9%	0.9%
current residences	1,637	472	573	78	285	26	45	146	12
current residences	100.0%	28.8%	35.0%	4.8%	17.4%	1.6%	2.7%	8.9%	0.7%
not current residences	2,611	533	986	121	590	55	30	273	23
not current residences	100.0%	20.4%	37.8%	4.6%	22.6%	2.1%	1.1%	10.5%	0.9%

Table 2-7: Which schools those couples who answered "in schools" met

respondents academic records	relevant numbers	primary schools	junior high schools	high schools	colleges	others	unknown
total	199	35	73	72	11	7	1
total	100.0%	17.6%	36.7%	36.2%	5.5%	3.5%	0.5%
up to primary/ junior high schools	51	12	29	7	-	2	1
up to primary/ junior high schools	100.0%	23.5%	56.9%	13.7%	-	3.9%	2.0%
up to high schools	111	18	39	54	-	-	-
up to high schools	100.0%	16.2%	35.1%	48.6%	-	-	-
up to junior colleges/ colleges	33	4	5	9	10	5	-
up to junior colleges/ colleges	100.0%	12.1%	15.2%	27.3%	30.3%	15.2%	-

(3) Residence Immediately After Marriage

For those who were born in their current area of residence, residences immediately following marriage were classified in two ways: "spouse is from a Dowa area," and "spouse is not from a Dowa area."

Among those whose spouses are from Dowa areas, 85.5% of respondent couples have lived in their current (Dowa) area of residence since marriage. For those whose spouses are not from Dowa areas, the percentage dropped by 19.1 points to 66.4%. The percentages of people choosing to live in Osaka Prefecture, the same city or a neighboring area were subsequently higher, 12.7%, 8.8% and 8.4% respectively.

Table 2-8: Residential areas right after their marriage among those who were born in their current residential areas

birth places of spouses	relevant numbers	current residential areas	neighboring areas	same city/ town	Osaka prefecture	other than Osaka	abroad	unknown
total	1,637	1,243	96	109	142	39	1	7
total	100.0%	75.9%	5.9%	6.7%	8.7%	2.4%	0.1%	0.4%
Dowa areas	772	660	26	36	37	10	-	3
Dowa areas	100.0%	85.5%	3.4%	4.7%	4.8%	1.3%	-	0.4%
other than Dowa area	806	535	68	71	102	28	1	1
other than Dowa area	100.0%	66.4%	8.4%	8.8%	12.7%	3.5%	0.1%	0.1%
do not know	52	47	1	1	2	1	-	-
do not know	100.0%	90.4%	1.9%	1.9%	3.8%	1.9%	-	-

Buraku Liberation News is fully responsible for summarizing the Reports in this series.
Note (1) Some of the reports are available (Japanese version only) on the website of the Osaka
Prefectural Government: http://www.pref.osaka.jp/jinken/measure/tyosa/index.html