Overcoming Hidden Discrimination
By Masaru Goto (May 19th, 2008)
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- Photograph by Masaru Goto
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- Photograph by Masaru Goto
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- Photograph by Masaru Goto
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- Photograph by Masaru Goto
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- Photograph by Masaru Goto
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- Photograph by Masaru Goto
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- Photograph by Masaru Goto
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- Photograph by Masaru Goto
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- Photograph by Masaru Goto
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- Photograph by Masaru Goto
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- Photograph by Masaru Goto
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- Photograph by Masaru Goto
This exhibition is entitled “NIHONJIN, BURAKUMIN: Portraits of Japan’s outcast people.”
The Burakumin are a nearly invisible (yet identifiable) group of Japanese people. They are the remnant of a caste system that formally passed away long ago. Their ancestors were the untouchables. Despite being racially and ethnically Japanese through and through, the Burakumin still face discrimination and struggle together under the weight of their shared history.
Discrimination is an act of depriving individuals of their fundamental human rights and treating them unjustly in any aspect of their lives, be it political, economic or cultural. In Japan, Buraku discrimination happens against people who were born or live in the Hisabetsu Buraku (discriminated districts).
The roots of Buraku discrimination come from feudal Japan, when the Buraku were areas separated from the other social classes. The people there lived under tight restrictions in every part of their lives, such as clothing, jobs, and home, due to the feudal class system formed by a variety of political and social factors. These historical areas are the origins of today’s Buraku, people who are still the target of discrimination due to the influence of subsequent social systems. This discrimination is what Japanese call, “Buraku issues.”
After World War II, the Buraku liberation movement made a fresh start, following in the footsteps of the National Levelers’ Association (Zenkoku Suiheisha). As a result of a strong demand for the government to abolish Buraku discrimination, the “Report by the Council for Anti - Discrimination Measures” was issued in 1965, and in that report the forms of Buraku discrimination were classified into “substantive discrimination” and “psychological discrimination.” And, most importantly, settlement of the Buraku issue was recognized as “the government’s responsibility and a national task.”
In 1969, the “Special Measures Law for Anti - Discrimination Project” was enacted, and by this law, “Dowa districts” were defined as “areas where improvement and stabilization of the living arrangements etc. are prevented based on historical and social reasons”, and projects were undertaken to improve those Dowa districts designated by the government.
Residential conditions improved greatly through the special measures law until 2002, but the sense of discrimination against Buraku still exists even after so many years. Negative images, such as “grim,” “poor,” and “obsolete” are still strong, and there are many issues of substantive discrimination to this day.
In such a situation, there are people not only stand up against this discrimination, but who also live, shine and tread this earth. There are communities where strong senses of unity and mutual help still exist. The Buraku way of life and their warm lands; are they still completely alien to you? (Reference)
May 20th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
I first encountered prejudice against the people of the buraku when I came to Japan over 40 years ago. It is sad to think that young people still have to battle against this, but these photographs are encouraging evidence of those who are making a success of their lives! As someone who has long been hooked on “fun” I particularly appreciated the testimony of the man who claimed that every day of his life was full of it. That’s the spirit!! The photographs are very moving; I enjoyed them immensely.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
EXCELENT good job bro…
May 21st, 2008 at 1:43 pm
I really love these photos. That was my first thought when I first looked at them, without reading any of the background info. They really are great photos, & I was quite moved by them. They express the character of each individual, and convey the beauty that can be found in ordinary people. Which is what these people are when it comes down to it - no different to you or I or the other ordinary people they live & move amongst every day.
As a foreigner, I had no idea of this kind of discrimination in Japan. Just the idea of labelling someone according to where they were born or where they live, seems so crazy & foreign to me… but when I think about it I suppose that kind of discrimination occurs all over the world, even here in Australia.
It’s great to see issues like this expressed in such a beautiful way.
Seeing people taking pride in their heritage, standing up against discrimination, while also connecting with the people around them (both Buraku & others), is really quite inspring.
After reading the background notes, I can still say that I love these photos, but now I find them moving on a deeper level.
Thank you for sharing these with us.
May 22nd, 2008 at 5:09 am
I felt just like Lauren. First, I took a look at the photos, enjoyed seeing them all smiles, then I read the comments… and I ended up loving the photos even more and for the same reasons as Lauren. I was particularly moved by Miss Takeda and Mr. Lee’s stories, I don’t know why.
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:47 pm
[...] So far there is only one photographer, photojournalist/humanitarian photographer Masaru Goto, whose work is quite compelling. The portfolio he displays at GlobalCompasion.com is entitled “NIHONJIN, BURAKUMIN: Portraits of Japan’s outcast people”. [...]
May 23rd, 2008 at 1:51 am
Thanks Masaru for informing me of an issue in Japan that I did not know even existed.
May 23rd, 2008 at 9:46 am
I’ve been living in Japan and I’ve seen people slap Burakumin, and generally treat them like crap.
Japanese society may be “polite”, but that shouldn’t be confused with nice.
That is, I’ve been living in Japan for 11 years.
May 23rd, 2008 at 11:34 am
I live in Japan and it’s interesting how rarely these are discussed. I can say the topic has come up like once in 18 years of living in Japan, and I think I was the one who brought it up. Incidentally, “buraku” sounds like “black” (an odd accident there) but it’s written with kanji (部落民) that literally mean “village people.”
May 23rd, 2008 at 1:37 pm
[...] Link [...]
May 23rd, 2008 at 3:36 pm
A wonderful set for a wonderful idea!
May 23rd, 2008 at 9:29 pm
[...] The photographs, a series of portraits, are colorful and reveal a remarkable zest for life in each of the participants (like the guy who says he wants to die shouting “Whoo!”). Each picture is followed by a short account of each persons experiences. I found bamboo artisan Keigin Ishida’s story of his relationship with his father especially touching. LINK TO MASARU GOTO’S EXHIBITION [...]
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May 25th, 2008 at 2:16 am
wow, great set, thanks
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:22 pm
Dear all,
Thank you for the comments. The Burakumin story is still Taboo and people do not talk about in public in Japan. So I appreciate everyone who consider about Burakumin. I believe that this is the first step.
Masaru Goto
June 10th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
[...] See more on GlobalCompassion [...]
November 23rd, 2008 at 7:41 am
Here you have a good article about burakumin:
http://digital.csic.es/bitstream/10261/8237/1/burakumin1.doc
November 25th, 2008 at 10:06 am
this is awsum
November 25th, 2008 at 10:06 am
this is awsum
January 17th, 2009 at 4:19 am
fantastic piece, thank you!
April 22nd, 2009 at 11:03 pm
hm.. love it.
May 3rd, 2009 at 4:25 am
Today I learned for the first time of the isolation and prejudice in Japan towards the Burakumin people. The beauty of this website to contradict the negativity of prejudice towards these people has touched me deeply. I am grateful for the testimony of the wonderful men and women pictured above. Another group, the Sonderkommando’s, are in great need of understanding, mercy, and compassion too.
May 4th, 2009 at 3:57 am
So it comes down to the haves and the have nots.
After reading these articles it seems that the have nots(burakimin), do not have opportunities to break into higher income brackets. That is just sad seeing how the ancestors of most millionares today in the USA were low wage earners or unemployed.
May 8th, 2009 at 5:37 am
For an apparently ethnically homogeneous society such as Japan, caste system existed and still existed in the human mind. I guess it is basically a dark human characteristics for human kind - to look for someone else to discriminate against so as to feel psychologically more superior for mental gratification. It is widely expressed in Western countries as racial or ethnic discrimination. It is always that secretive genie lurking in the deep recess of the human mind.
May 24th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
По моему скромному мнению, тема слишком сложная для новичка
June 1st, 2009 at 2:07 am
Я так понимаю, в самом последнем абзаце как раз вся соль и изложена
June 1st, 2009 at 9:05 am
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