Buraku Liberation Movement (Japan)

During the roughly nine decades since its inception, the Buraku Liberation Movement (Buraku Kaihō Undō) has worked to eliminate the social prejudice and structural inequities that characterized life for many burakumin, residents of former outcast districts. Although official caste designations were abolished in 1871, many burakumin continued to be targets of discrimination. The Buraku Liberation Movement emerged as a national phenomenon in 1922 with the establishment of the National Levelers Association (Zenkoku Suiheisha). This organization adopted a strategy of direct confrontation known as tetteiteki kyuū dan or “thoroughgoing denunciation” against individuals accused of discriminating against burakumin. The focus of the group gradually expanded beyond critiquing the actions of individuals to scrutinizing systemic discrimination manifest in institutions such as the military, police, school, and government administrations. The activities of the organization came to a close in 1942 as one of several organizational casualties resulting from domestic pressures stemming from the intensification of the ongoing war effort. Following the end of World War II, the Buraku Liberation Movement was rekindled in 1946 with the establishment of the National Committee for Buraku Liberation (Buraku Kaihō Zenkoku Iinkai), which changed its name in 1955 to the current Buraku Liberation League (Buraku Kaihō Dōmei). The movement continued to focus its attention on systemic manifestations of discrimination and ratcheted up pressure on governmental entities to accept responsibility for eradicating prejudice against buraku residents. During the postwar years, much of Japan experienced improvements as the country went through a period of rapid economic growth. Progress rarely extended to buraku areas, however. National surveys revealed significant gaps between the general population and buraku residents, who experienced higher levels of poverty exacerbated by high unemployment and low educational attainment. Moreover, social prejudice against those residing in buraku districts continued to manifest itself in areas such as marriage and employment discrimination. Keywords: stratification and inequality; human rights; minorities; Japan