Japan's Burakumin

[kyopojin]

In recent months,I've discovered Japan has an outdated caste system called Burakumin.



http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/Pol...agami.hmtl_7k_

[Martino]

I've heard of this before. It was referenced in a movie. Can't remember which one, but it was Japanese, and black and white.

[Martino]

Ah. I picked it up from the Criterion release of Akira Kurosawa's Heaven and Hell (Tengoku to jigoku); the DVD comes with notes about the movie, and explain what Japanese audiences would understand tacitly , an important plot element which isn't spoken in the film: that Toshiro Mifune's character is burakumin, as he works in an 'untouchable' industry (leather).

[Martino]

The US title is High and Low.

[kimpossible]

You can discover eta and hinin as well. The blood registries are used to 'weed out' those with ainu ancestry too, to my recollection. There's a whole host of non-desirable subgroups in Japanese society. Konketsu, while a somewhat outdated term, can also fall into the icky-icky keep them away from us category.

[CBC guy]

Are they still discriminated against today? I would think its not official but people probably discriminate anyway.

It'll be fun to see how Yuuteya defends this...

[BeTheReds]

I don't know... I don't think this exists much anymore. If it does then I somehow missed it in my three years there. I've of course heard of it though.

[eos]

Originally Posted by CBC guy

Are they still discriminated against today? I would think its not official but people probably discriminate anyway.

It'll be fun to see how Yuuteya defends this...

ur inviting trouble, brother. hope ur ready to take what he dishes out, if he does. i'm just saying.

[kimpossible]

Originally Posted by CBC guy

It'll be fun to see how Yuuteya defends this...

I think he'd be a better source to clarify it than defend it unless there was some negative implication towards the Japanese I missed. I can go as far to say I believe it was used more during one or two periods and not intrinsic to all of Japanese history and society from the dawn of time until now.

[kimpossible]

Originally Posted by BeTheReds

I don't know... I don't think this exists much anymore. If it does then I somehow missed it in my three years there. I've of course heard of it though.

Most people know about it. My impression is that you hear more anecdotal stories... like a friend of a friend's parents didn't like the person their son was engaged to and checked the blood registry to find something disqualifying about the prospective in law.

I'd think if you're the average working joe 40 yrs or younger there's no interest and hardly any way it could impact your life but say you're from a high class and pedigree matters to old fogies the legacy of burakumin et al ancestry could inhibit you socially. Or for politicians, high level execs maybe. I can tell you a lot of families still care if they hail ancestrally from an upper class so I could potentially see it as a family secret if you know you come from a pariah or outcast group.

At any rate. I wouldn't call it modern in the common day. I also wouldn't really call them minorities. They don't differ racially (not counting ppl with ainu blood or okinawans - when grouped with main Japanese).

[kyopojin]

There is a TV program titled " Petto Petto San " hints at discrimination and current integration of Burakumin.

[SunWuKong]

Originally Posted by CBC guy

Are they still discriminated against today? I would think its not official but people probably discriminate anyway.

It'll be fun to see how Yuuteya defends this...

ok, please don't start baiting people.

[CBC guy]

Hmm... doesn't seem like he's around much longer anyways.

I was actually one of the "chummier" Chinese with yuuteya back in June when I first joined. If its really that bad go ahead and edit my post.

Anyways I don't think the under-40s care much about this anymore do they?

[kyopojin]

There is a blood registry named Hisabetsu Buraku Chimei Sokan exposes both Burakumin background and Korean-ancestry.

[colorred]

But how can you prove that burakumin is associated with korean ancestry? strange.