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
100.0% 26.2% 35.1% 25.4% 13.3%
before 1950 302 140 60 63 39
100.0% 46.4% 19.9% 20.9% 12.9%
1951-1960 637 246 149 172 70
100.0% 38.6% 23.4% 27.0% 11.0%
1961-1970 987 279 290 277 141
100.0% 28.3% 29.4% 28.1% 14.3%
1971-1980 775 198 275 208 94
100.0% 25.5% 35.5% 26.8% 12.1%
1981-1990 757 142 331 178 106
100.0% 18.8% 43.7% 23.5% 14.0%
after 1991 705 86 365 156 98
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
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
100.0% 16.5% 10.4% 17.4% 33.0% 21.7% - 0.9%
30-39 248 51 20 28 81 63 4 1
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
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
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
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 -
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
100.0% 2.0% 5.7% 10.8% 30.8% 47.7% 2.9% 0.1%
15-29 81 1 7 17 35 21 - -
100.0% 1.2% 8.6% 21.0% 43.2% 25.9%
-
30-39 179 3 12 25 78 56 5 -
100.0% 1.7% 6.7% 14.0% 43.6% 31.3% 2.8% -
40-49 161 1 8 21 49 77 4 1
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 -
100.0% 4.6% 4.6% 8.0% 25.7% 55.4% 1.7% -
60-69 141 1 8 7 23 95 7 -
100.0% 0.7% 5.7% 5.0% 16.3% 67.4% 5.0% -
Over 70 53 2 2 1 13 31 4 -
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
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
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
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
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
100.0% 23.5% 56.9% 13.7% - 3.9% 2.0%
up to high schools 111 18 39 54 - - -
100.0% 16.2% 35.1% 48.6% - - -
up to junior colleges/
colleges
33 4 5 9 10 5 -
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
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
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
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 - -
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

<to be continued>