The History and Current Situation of the BURAKU Discrimination in Japan
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- čas přidán 15. 06. 2024
- Although not many Japanese people acknowledge it, Japan actually still has many problems regarding discrimination.
I have once made a video talking about the zainichi-koreans, but there is another kind of discrimination that has been deeply rooted in society for a much longer time.
This problem is called “BURAKU problem (Dowa Problem)” in Japan, which is the discrimination against the people who were once called “穢多 Eta (mud bloods)” and “非人 Hinin (non-humans).”
So today, I will talk about the history of the Buraku problem and who the discriminated people are.
Also, at the latter half of the video, I will explain what kind of discrimination they are suffering from today and actual incidents that happened recently.
Lastly, I will introduce what kind of movements are being taken in order to solve this problem, so please stay with me till the end.
Before I start, I want to make it very clear that I am a person who is against all kinds of discrimination on this planet. No matter where you are born, what you look like, or what you believe in, we are all equal and no one has the right to slander or apply violence to anyone for these reasons.
I consider discrimination to be a terrible, mindless, and immature act in which people project their own weakness and ugliness onto others in the form of violence.
[Time codes]
0:00 Let's START!
2:13 The History of BURAKU Problem
8:56 What Kind of Discrimination They Experience Today
12:33 What is Being Done to Solve This Problem
15:29 Today's Conclusion
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This reminds me of the Japanese movie “the departures” where this man takes on a job as a funeral home worker and people saw him as unclean and said he smelled wherever he went, but he did such a service to the people there, thank you for this
I mean you don't have to like it but I never understood why you would treat someone bad, specially if you use this person's services...
There's a manga called Shigeshoushi where the main character is an embalmer. It touches on how society perceives his work as something insane and dirty.
That was one of the Hinin/Eta professions.
This sounds a bit like a continuation of the topic about how Bushido is ruining Japan. Given this discrimination predates the Edo period, I see why there isn't a direct tie, but I've enjoyed both of these videos very much from the viewpoint as cautionary tales and a study of social sciences.
@@xanthippus9079 thanks for the recommendation
You are the first Japanese person who didn't squirm away from this difficult topic. Much admiration. I know there is a significant Buraku community in Kyoto.
Is the Buraku area of Kyoto just off to the south east of Kyoto Railway station? I think there is a museum in a 19th century building that was a local bank for the community as the other banks didn't want to loan money to Burakumin.
Exactly
the first Japanese person??? How can you say that? The problem of Buraku has been around for a long time. Nowadays, it is much better than before. This is because urbanisation has made it impossible to know who your neighbours are, and in modern society it is almost impossible to know which people are from the tribe.
Of course, this does not mean that the problem of Buraku has been eliminated.
@@realstage1925 Read what he actually wrote again.
@@albinullanger7862 Please be specific about what you want to say.
I can't imagine being prejudiced to a leather worker. Everyone wears a belt and shoes, right? Being prejudiced to a butcher, Everyone eats meat. Right? Let's face it, prejudice is stupid.
But just dig the fact that discrimination had to be "established" . makes it sound like it was such a great thing..
Japan sure had it's pros and cons back in the ancient olden-days
Agree! Imagine everyone in Japan just stops working as butchers because they don't want to get prejudiced. Putting prejudices on occupation is silly.
yea, but tanneries are stinky, and that must mean they are unclean. gotta use medieval superstition rather than modern pragmatism.
Yet we’re all human in the end.
Prejudice is, just like any other evolutionarily inherited mechanism is useful. Like fear of darkness, conformity to the group even storing carbohydrates as fat. None of these phenomenon are singularly beneficial or detrimental.
It's up to us to use these "tools" wisely.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the discrimination of disabled people by the Japanese. As someone who lived and worked in Kobe City, on more than one occasion it was suggested that I only work from home because it was unsightly, undignified and in poor taste for my expectation that people see and interact with me in society and the workplace. I learned there was an entire subculture of disabled people who interacted and survived under the surface of normal day to day there. Crazy
I've heard of it from my Japanese friends as well. There were even cases where heinous crimes were committed against them for the simple reason that they exist. It's heartbreaking.
Yeah. Like the anime A Silent Voice the main girl was bullied for being deaf as if she could control the fact that she was born without a sense. This is insensitive and cruel to hurt someone for not having all the tools you were born with.
That is so sad!
Animalistic society at it's work
@@bmona7550 animelistic society
Yes is true. My uncle who was born into a rich family always looked down on others who did not do as well as him, even my family. He would think of us as sub-humans and would not even attend reunion dinners together because everyone who is poor is considered beneath him. One day his business failed and he suddenly lost his fortunes overnight. A few months later, he committed suicide by hanging himself out of shame. No one mourned his death. My mother in particular was extremely happy when he died. :)
Since he looked down on the people he considers as socioeconomically lower than him, I wonder how he will feel if someone far richer than him views him the same way he views others beneath him.
@@abelsoo5465 Probably shame, hence the suicide.
Your mom really had the reaction of your username
Sounds like you all could benefit from the teachings of Jesus.
Dude ur username and this comment haha that is too funny.... but there you go it is a usual story. At the end of the day everyone dies. Your uncle wasted so much of his life trying to feel superior to others. To dominate and feel superior to others. Where deep down he should have been more human and kinder. Imagine if he had been kinder while he was rich and when he lost all his money. He would have his friends and families to support him as a person.
I know because i had been dehumanize before and hit rock bottom. But my friends and families were there. It was kind of a karma.
I don't understand how this discrimination works nowadays. I mean, how do people know who to discriminate against? If someone asked me "was your great great great grandfather a butcher?" I'd just reply "nah, he was a weaver". By birthplace also seems odd in the modern day, do entire cities get marked as "undesirables"? Or is it associated with certain family names?
There was a scandal about 30 years ago where an unofficial Burakamin registry was being circulated discreetly. Allegedly even major Japanese corporations bought copies in order to discriminate in hiring. Also, Japan society is all about keeping meticulous family records.
If you're Japanese and it's time to marry, the other side WILL do research on you.
@@cxar71 I guess it depends on who is marrying whom. I'm sure most middle class Japanese families just want their future in-laws to be financially stable and middle class. But some traditional or wealthy families might hire a private detective to dig up everything.
@@cxar71 i think such stuff comes more from the parents than from the children.
Historically there are specific neighborhoods tradesmen of certain areas had to live in.
The stigma against those areas and the people who live in them hasn't gone away.
For example Minami-senju in Tokyo is built on the site of an Edo Area prison and Execution ground and it's not as well developed or pricey as other parts of the city.
Ironically from what I've heard it's actually easier to get an apartment as a foreigner in former Buraku neighborhoods because they're more likely to just take people willing to pay.
In pre-modern days the Buraku were considered to not even be part of the rigid Japanese class system (nobles, merchants, farmers) that Shogo mentions. At least the farmers while lowly were respected for producing food. The Buraku were literal outcasts who had to live outside the borders of a village. In addition to butchering meat or working with leather, they also cleaned sewers and carried out executions.
Leatherworkers in particular were not liked since the days before Rome, and were disliked worldwide. And there is a reason. Look up how leather was made.
These same areas mark the current residents as Buraku.
@@silverbird425 If you ever visit Asakusa Ward in Tokyo and walk a little further north, you'll find yourself in an eerily desolate yet tidy neighborhood. The focal point of that area is Namidabashi, also known as the Bridge of Tears because criminals were led across the bridge before being executed.
This sounds very similar to medieval Europe where people like Gong Farmers, Tanners, Knackery worker's and Executioners were also shunned. Crazy stuff! 👍
@@thomm6736 People keep bringing up comparisons people doing dirty jobs in Europe. The difference is in old time Japan the buraku were considered beyond the pale of society and completely shunned. It's really more like the Dalit class in India. And the stigma still lingers for their descendants in modern day Japan.
Wow, this sounds SO SIMILAR to the Dalits and Caste Discrimination in India. If it interests you, please read about them, too! You will surprised how similar Indian and Japanese history is in social terms.
Dalits have it far far worse. They are some of the most discriminated and oppressed in the world. Luckily the Indian government does not discriminate against them despite the prejudice they face by some segments of Indian society.
@@abelsoo5465 100% agree!
Rukia!!
@@hbanana7 Hahaha 😂
Because everyone in east asia copied that system
Speaking of traditionally discriminated people groups, I think it would be interesting to see you discuss the Ainu. Their history and recent works.
I was going to comment this too. +1 to talk about the Ainu.
The difference is Ainu are separate people altogether. Only politic bind them to other japanese.
@@meferswift They've still have had and continue to have a rough position though.
@@The-Random-Hamlet yes. But they considered not Japanese at all.
If burako is japanese that outside of japanese society, ainu not even considered as "Japanese" iirc.
Wasn't ainu came from separate wave of settler ?
@@meferswift Its still a pertinent social issue in Japan though.
I remember a friend of mine (who's not Japanese) who worked in Japan Airlines said that the hiring of Japanese Flight Crew members are stricter than hiring foreign nationals. Airlines in Japan would look at your family history and if you belong to Burakumin, even if you're from a well-off family in the present, they will decline your application for the sole reason.
It's true, they have records of how your family was doing centuries ago. So they search and see your past.
Thats kinda scary...
@@May16Joe As well as checking out maps that show where your family has lived. Doesn't matter if it was cheaper rent than the rest of the city. It marked you as being part of that "caste".
I was wondering how they worked out whether someone was Buraku or not. It's not like one can judge by appearance. The fact that some go to such lengths just to deny them is insane.
Wth
Its strange how the people who do the unsavory work are also subject to abuses for being employed in said jobs.
-India and its "Dalit" class.
-Japan and it's Buraku
-The ancient world and the hebrews being put in charge of moneylending (since money was 'evil") and then being called "Greedy jews" because they ended up fairly well off.
Why must societies add insult to injury by kicking those who are willing to get on their knees to do a hard job.
Because people like to feel superior to each other
In modern day people who try to give proper counseling and therapy towards pеdоphiles are discriminated again all because they give someone some basic human respect and the proper help they need in order to effectively manage something that they're genetically predisposed to have and Germany and Japan to a certain extent has successfully helped in this regard although in different ways.
In Japan it's the allowing of artistic expression of any sort of fantasy as long nobody involved is getting harmed in any way, while with Germany it's in the form of proper therapy as well counseling and awareness; I would find a mixture of both Japan's and Germany's approach to help cause the most effective results to immerge.
You've just figured out why people don't want to go back to certain jobs like retail and restaurant. Those people have been kicked for too long, and now they're pushing back...
another examples are resellers, people who buy tickets or consumable products like ps5 and gpu. They too are demonized despite trying to make a living.
because the more important your work the less value it has. if you can afford to live on useless job the more luxurious your life is
Watching this made me realise people actually think something stops if the government says so. I live in India and untouchability still exist in 2021
well, I mean they have to enforce anti-discrimination laws if they promulgate it, right? if enforcement is ineffectual then it's a problem.
@@alfyryan6949 That’s why i started with people actually think!
@@alfyryan6949 and they will find new way to discriminate.
Forcing people to not discriminate is quite hard.
@@thelivingphantom2584 hey isnt indian gov rn actualy enforcing discrimination?
@@yogi_gs Nope the political party is promoting it for their own political gain.
Even in a diverse society such as Hawaii, it was only a generation or two ago when a few local Japanese (Naichi) had something against Okinawans (Uchinanchu). I never completely understood why. Maybe because many of the early family settlers were pig farmers. The first time I encountered this was when my Okinawan friend dated a Japanese girl. Her father told him in no uncertain terms that he should stay away from her. What happened? They secretly saw each other and then eloped. As is usually the case, once kids came, the girl's father was fine. ;-)
I saw this prejudice against Okinawans between the Japanese of Brazil too. And here in Brazil we have the biggest number of japaneses out of Japan in the world.
Okinawa was previously its own country, before being taken over by Satsuma in the 1600s and later by Imperial Japan in the late 1800s. In an effort to assimilate the people, Okinawan culture was very heavily oppressed and there's prejudice relating to that. Also even in modern times people from there are often considered not Japanese and thus there's probably an element of xenophobia as well
I enjoy listening to Shogo speak about serious subjects-he always seems to conjure up a level-headed standpoint on some of the craziness going on in our world today. He breaks it down when he knows we’re liable to get a little confused-Hell-I don’t even speed him up; I find his natural speaking cadence relaxing.
I remember doing a research project about Burakus in college for a Global Studies/ Global Conflict course. I also researched about how the mistreatment of certain groups in Japan lead to the rise of the Yakuza. Something like 60% of Yakuza had some connection to Buraku. Once Japan started to push back against discrimination of Burakus the amount of Yakuza decreased significantly. The youth had hope outside their “segregated” communities. I wish I could provide link to sources. CZcams dislikes links. Might post title and where to find them later. There were even some Yakuza-lead unions who took advantage of the aid the government gave the buraku communities. These unions would threaten government officials. They would hoard the money meant to help Buraku through poverty aid.
You deserve much admiration for addressing difficult topics in a most forthright and respectful manner.
"Not really fun" Fact: In the past, the same thing happened in Europe as well. People who worked with leather (which involves using pee), executioners and others were discriminated against.
However this situation disapperaed with the industrialisation in the 19th century.
Sources? I never heard of that in European history. Leather working was a pretty respectable craft in pre-modern Europe.
Yes, that's right. Certain discriminations disappeared with the end of the Middle Ages like a distrust towards millers, as seen in many old stories where millers form pacts with evil forces. But every profession that's "unclean" had a stigma untill quite recently. Leather production for example not only included working with pee but the craftsmen (in German "Abdecker" or "Schinder") often slaughtered the animals themselves so there's the double stigma. A lot of sources talk about the horrific smells in the work places and the houses of these families. You couldn't get rid of it. The same with charcoal burners who smelled and because of the burns they suffered frequently during their work they looked frightening after some time.
@@Meretneith Except I think in Japan the jobs the outcasts took up were an outgrowth of their pariah status. Not the other way around. And the discrimination against them and their professions were deeply rooted in their religion.
@@capmidnite To be fair the relationship between religious and more real life based reasons of discrimination is very complex in every society and hard to differentiate.
Using urine for tanning was largely peculiar to what is now the United Kingdom. Plant tannins were the go-to for tanning in mainland (read: most) of Europe.
That said, there was certainly social discrimination based on profession, although it ran along different lines. Broadly, the more upper-class/caste the materials that you worked with, or the more upper-class/caste your clientele, the higher _you_ were in the hierarchy as well. Leather was, for the most part, a cheap material in the medieval economy, and the upper classes and castes preferred other materials for most objects (eg glass, metal, and stoneware/earthenware/ceramic for dining, compared to wood and leather for the less affluent).
If you want to learn more on this topic I would recommend reading books by Kenji Nakagami, who was a burakumin writer. I'd recommend Misaki (The Cape) which looks at burakumin family dynamics and the effect of development from the perspective of a burakumin construction worker.
As a child in the 80's I saw a documentary on PBS about the modern day (at the time) living conditions for some of these people. It was very shocking to see impoverished people living in squalor and lacking social mobility in one of the wealthiest nations in the world. When you think of Japan you picture skyscrapers and ancient temples, not people doing laundry in a river. It made me notice the similar problems in America and helped me become critical of wealth disparity as an adult.
I work in leather industry and I was confused when my Japanese colleague said that working in leather industry is considered 'low-class' in Japan.
This is the first time I know why. Thank you for the information.
@@samvimes2061 Hilariously enough. And actually true. Leather Working in the west now is considered a higher class job then most office jobs. Office jobs is the new Peasanty.
Hideyoshi: rises from peasant to shogun
Also Hideyeoshi: "Upward social mobility is bad, actually."
I strayed far from what I was originally taught. I'm a bit of a loner now but ever since I first left my country and experienced Mexico, I grew a deep interest in foreigners. I visited 7 countries so far and the philippines is where I met my fiance that I've loved for 9 years and still strongly going.
What country were you from?
@@forgameonly9554 united states. I still live here but I plan on moving to the philippines someday so my lady won't have to leave her family and friends behind.
@@bluemenace04 you're welcome here. Just don't expect highly and know better who to trust. Also avoid BDO bank cause lot of scams and syndicate in that bank. Haha. 😆
@@bluemenace04 Stay safe!
@UCYlhsi01niR8gRumxc98Ifw thanks.
I think that historically a lot of cultures discriminated against people who worked as tanners or with sewage were discriminated against as being unhygienic. Thankfully that discrimination seems to have mostly gone. Although I think that discrimination based on social class and occupation unfortunately still exists; I have seen a lot of people who look down on those who work in retail or fast food, and I think it is sad that even now people discriminate against the people who do the jobs they don't want to do. Definitely nothing on the level of what was discussed in this video though. I hope that we can move toward a future without discrimination :)
People still look down at jobs like electricians/plumbers/joiners/etc because it's "blue collar"/"working class" despite these jobs often paying a lot more than someone say behind a desk clacking on a keyboard.
@@insertname7325 where I live in New York everyone lives those men/ladies
That is something I just don't understand. People discriminate on other people who do jobs that they themselves are not willing to do. I'm actually very grateful for these people. People who work on sanitation, our food servers, people who work on trade, etc., these are people who have just as an important job as "professional" jobs. But at least, where I live, sanitation and trade jobs are well-paid. If only that extends to people working in the service sector.
I was considering going into carpenting or plumbing. While my mom still treats workers who she hires with decency, she still told me: "Don't go in these jobs! Carpenting is a backbreaking work, you'll break in there! And plumbing, why would you want to deal with peepee and poopoo?!"
@@gwendolynsnyder463 If your a woman I can see way she would’ve what you to take that job.
This is well discussed. The topic is a terrible blight on humanity. Thank you.
Except I think in Japan it is still taboo to bring up in polite company. Kudos for a native Japanese to bring it up.
I just wonder. Who are you exactly to judge other race and traditions?
Why are you talking on behalf of humanity?
@@oleguzumaki it's a clear discrimination against innocent group of people. Are you being serious right now?
This is similar to what happened between mainland Japanese and the Okinawans when both groups immigrated to Hawaii. The Okinawans did similar jobs that the Buruku people did but they became extremely wealthy as a result because they owned their own businesses. This caused division between both groups because the mainland Japanese felt the same way about these occupations. Over the years, things changed and there is not much discrimination against Okinawans today.
I'm pretty saddened by the fact the roots of the discrimination was "divide and conquer", "controll the masses", and "scapegoat as sacrificial lamb".
I'm not familiar with Japan. It's just hearing how creepily similar some of the stuff in the video is to stuff my friends have faced across the pond really sucks.
Google Maps created a minor scandal about a decade again when they overlaid historical archival maps of Edo with modern day maps of Tokyo. One map clearly demarcated districts where untouchables historically lived.
How is an oversight like that even possible?
@@groidcel by not knowing the culture
History isn't an oversight.
In all honesty, I do have to thank you for just being able to discuss the more difficult issues that most don't talk about when it comes to Japan. It makes the country and the people living there feel more real and three-dimensional for a lack of better words...
Thank you for bringing a light to these issues... It helps me understand my mother more and gives me insight to help ease her previous discrimination she faced growing up in Kyoto... My mom was born in 1948, and she left Japan and met my father when she was 29, and has lived here ever since.
Wow, you tacked the forbidden topic! さすが。This issue is something I’m very aware of since one of the schools where I teach is located one of these neighborhoods. It’s really sad to see that the historical scars inflicted on this community still cause harm…lots of single parent families and other domestic issues leads to a fairly high rate of learning disabilities and behavioral issues in my kids. But most of them do alright if they get enough support. Thanks to increased social awareness of this historical issue, and continued effort to address it (especially through the education system), it seems that the situation is slowly but steadily improving.
"We all bleed the same color."
-unknown
Same colors but with different hues
I suggested you speaking on burakumin on an old video. Regardless of whether my suggestion was part of choosing the subject, I thank you for speaking about this.
Buraku and discrimination will exist globally for as long as people feel the need to justify their own existence and self-worth by feeling and acting superior to others less fortunate. We used to call it ‘Keeping up with the Jones’s’ in the UK…
there must be a way for this to be stopped
Here I thought that "mudblood" was a slur invented by rowling.
Same 😅
I'm glad someone is calling out japans crap on CZcams. i see far too many "well its a different culture" nonsense to counter any criticism of japans very fucked up history of authoritarianism/far right politics.
I find it funny you're calling it "far right". In the USA right now the party pushing identity politics and a caste system via oppression is those pushing CRT... aka the far left. It's not right or left, it's identarian/authoritarian.
'Far right?' Ha, you tried that, brah
@@Undomaranel dude, both US parties are right-wing, you literally *don't have* a proper left-wing party. Democrats are center-right, Republicans are far-right. If you want to know what left-wing is like, look at New Zealand.
@@hannaciszewska554 100% I see Americans claim they have a left party, all the time. You don't. Modern Democrats are just center right. You really have no idea what leftism is, and if you want one, look at most of EU or NZ. Biden would be considered a right winger in most of EU.
@@hannaciszewska554 Even the 'conservatives/right' here in Australia are more left in some areas than the Democrats in the U.S., they've made that will and clear during these past couple of years, the country's practically a 'nanny state' at this point and we've never been more regulated in our history, and this is not including outbreak measures.
Same here in the States. I’m a school custodian and people get really uncomfortable when they find out what my job is.
No matter that I have a pension and full health benefits. All they see is custodian.
Union?
Really? That's lame :/
'Sides, you've gotta respect the school custodians. They clean up after those insane messes that sometime spring up in the bathroom or cafeteria.
When I was studying in Japan, they brought this up in my culture class and we visited a Burakumen school and subdivision to see how they live still in poverty and why Japan makes it almost for them to get ahead because of the last names.
Same discrimination still exist in the Middle East , which can be based on your last time (which pretty much had a title of an occupation). My grandmother who has Turkish roots, her last name was associated with grinding grains (so, like a Miller). Other people were associated with low paying jobs because of the villages that they came from before settling in the cities centuries later.
Among a lot of Arabs and Persians, calling someone "rural" is a deep insult.
@@markfergerson2145 that's true. Like they are uneducated or backward. Very sad, but hope people can overcome such stereotype.
@@miriammanolov9135 That will only happen when the culture turns away from making oneself look better by denigrating others. Sadly that characteristic is deeply ingrained in many societies.
Like u.s. having poor, middle, and rich classes? >.>
@@markfergerson2145 I am an arab and I think you are mistaken, Our society is made up of villegers, people who lived in the cities and Bedouins and I can assure you that every single one of them has his standing in society and is very proud of themselves. There is discrimination wherever you go in the whole world and the arabic world is not an exception, but I think this is not a big deal in our society, we have other big issues for sure, just this one is not one of them. (In school and University, I have not encountered this at all, but some idiots still do believe that they are better than others but that does not affect anyone really)
Shogo-san thank you for your efforts to provide a more complete view of Japan. I find your videos valuable because they help to put so many things into a better context. Maybe you should be Shogo-sensei because you're teaching me lessons!
Hey Shogo, I've been really curious about how people in the autism espectfum are seen or portrayed in Japan, I'd really love it if you made a video regarding this topic
I've heard that psychological problems are very taboo there. It wouldn't surprise me if there is either a bad image or no understanding at all.
@@sjoerdbrouwer9822 Yeah that's what I would expect too! so I wonder the actual details
@@sjoerdbrouwer9822 Don't check the Japanese wiki on it, it has a list of murderers who were suspected to be autistic... Yikes.
A lot of Mangaka are perhaps in the Autism Spectrum as well.
I like your content because you come across as a genuine patriot. Not a Jingoist who blindly believes in his country superiority, but someone who sees it's flaws and want to better it because he loves his land and it's people.
Shogo-San, thank you so very much for addressing this subject in your usual straightforward and educational way. I have always been curious about the Burakumin and wondered about whether things were improving for them today. You have offered more clarity on the subject than any other resource to date. Arigatogozaimasu, Shogo-San
My condolences to those who have been discriminated against. No one deserves it, no matter the race.
@woooudo It's not, why do you think that?
@woooudo what you on about? bro wasn't even talking about blm specifically, he was talking about ethnic discrimination in general
@woooudo Not sure what you mean.
@woooudo I have my criticism on blm and Skapie might have or not but that doesn't really matter here, the point is that blm wasn't even part of the conversation since the focus here is ethnic discrimination in Japan which is a whole different topic to ethnic tensions in the US
The movie "High and Low", about kidnapping and mistaken identity, explores this issue quite clearly.
The son of a clerk is mistaken for the son of his wealthy employer.
Complications abound when it is discovered that the clerk is from an esteemed family fallen on hard times, while his employer is from a poor leather-working family.
Lots of cultural examination ensues.
The employer uses his leather-working skills to help catch the kidnappers...won't spoil how but it created quite a stir in Japanese cinema!
Man, I love this guy, such a wholesome dude making great informative content.
I believe that the former caste system created in the Edo period will not vanish and will probably remain for all Japanese including the Buraku people. I am a Japanese American who was raised in the United States and cannot fully understand Japanese Culture but other countries have caste systems as well.
There was one in England too. In fact, it exists within any country with feudalism and monarchy as the system
@Valravn ZX And there it is also sort of new, about 400 years.
@Valravn ZX In India it's visible because government rule to provide reparation in the form of reservations and quotas for lower castes which makes it compulsory for all to mention their castes in forms and all.
Japan's culture needs a big overhaul. Blocking the youth from changing the country the way they need to with such heavy emphasis on giving power to elders is really hurting everything.
I love your videos, even the ones that cover sensitive topics. Very professional, sincere, and informative. I also admire your disclaimers on personal experiences or opinions, because that is uncommon and more necessary than most people would think.
I swear this is the best channel about Japan! thank you so, so, so much. Amazing content, I can't stop watching :D I'm literally binge-watching all the episodes, even taking the notes! (I'm studying Japanese and am interested in Japanese culture)
Thank you for these very informative videos about contemporary Japanese society. I don't hear alot about the issues affecting today's Japan and I learn so much watching these!
ありがと ございます!
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🙏🏾Excellent Shogo! I must acknowledge your courage on showing ALL sides of Japanese culture.💗
Thank you for making such a comprehensive video! I was aware of this class discrimination in history, but I wasn't aware that it was something that continued on.
Always look forward to your videos!
This reminds me a lot of the disability discrimination in the west. Again it is officially illegal to discriminate with education and employment but despite this many companies do ask invasive unnecessary questions. They will also choose not to employ based on disability but proving it is often very difficult.
I myself was literally told I didn't get a job because they felt I couldn't handle it with my disability. However because it was word of mouth and I didn't record it (as I was not expecting that tbh) I couldn't do anything about it.
Unfortunately laws alone cannot change things but as you said it is up to us as society to push for the change and raise awareness of these difficult subjects.
Often just that raised awareness helps as it adds to the forming of ideas and opinions in young generations who will be the future people in those positions that could discriminate.
Thank you very much for creating this video, Shogo. I've always been interested in the remnants of the old caste system, and the discrimination targeting the burakumin. I've been paying attention to it for almost 25 years now, and I'm glad to see the (little) progress that has been achieved since then, but I do wish for more. Thank you again for addressing this.
This is such an important topic to discuss and I'm glad you made a video about this. I didn't even know about this until this video. Thank you for making such great content!
As much as I would love to visit Japan, I don't feel as if I'd ever have the courage. Life is difficult enough without being seen as some freak of nature by everyone that walks past you. Honestly...
I think the same
@@limonsolitario740 I get it. When on holiday I have literally walked into a coffee shop to have EVERYONE there stop what they were doing and stare at me. I just turned and walked back out
As far as I know, tourists are safe.
@@DDonSon1 Had the same, three of us walked in a bar, all heads turned, we ordered beer and everyone resumed their conversation. Same three, different bar, asked if we could eat something, suddenly the whole village acted as if nothing strange had happened. We were a couple of bloody tourists in Ethiopia, if you behave yourself and eat and drink what they eat and drink, acceptance is possible.
@@5Melig You get that treatment as a minority in every country really. Asians in southern states are treated about the same and they lived there for generations. Sometimes they even faced violence..
This is a whole world problem wich still goes on. My neighbors are deaf and I try to learn a little sign language. I wish they would teach sign language in elementary schools so deaf people would be included so much better.
Sign language is also useful for emergency situations
My third grade teacher taught us all sign language. It was awesome.
We could use it to chat silently after completing our tests without disturbing the people who were still working on theirs.
In my school they did combine normal student and disable together so when there assembly and sport day we can celebrate together plus they didnt felt distant ..from there i got chances to learn sign languange and they vote me as their chairman for communication club(for disable)the reason why joining it bcs they special and behave like us too.For the first time that club open..they vote me bcs im famous at school even their teacher want to recommand me if i want to be special education teacher🤣
Nice thought.
I teach my students because their infants 6 weeks to 15 months old. But I agree it should be mandatory in schools, in the USA Spanish as well as French. Because we neighbor French and Spanish speaking countries.
I love the inflection you speak with it's very thematic and helps get your story out while staying entertaining
I enjoy learning from you. I have had many college teachers/professors. My opinion is that you have many positive qualities for a teacher. When I watch your videos, you have me really engaged into the subject matters. I feel that you enjoy sharing and teaching ; and when you enjoy what you do, it’s helps to make a positive experience for everyone. Sensei, Dōmo arigato gozaimasu.
Thank you for your honesty, you just gained a new subscriber. The japanese people were discriminated against in my country decades ago, but they're doing really well now and we have the biggest japanese community outside of Japan. Many aspects of japanese culture are part of our culture too, now, so I guess every country has hope and room for improvement. Cheers from Brazil!
In the book 'A Hangman's Diary: The Journal of Master Franz Schmidt', there is a prologue explaining how executioners provided an essential work for that day's law enforcement but were perceived very negativelly. If I rememer correctly, if they failed at their job they could be lynched, and despite sometimes having plenty of money, they were still seen as dirty.
there is a book called hangman's journal by Shashi warriar, from india, who writes about the same theme. hard hitting account of the people working in the princely kingdom in what is now Kerala....the lengths to which the kings people would go to pin the guilt of killing during an execution on the hangman, and deflect it from the king in whose name the execution happened. the king would send a farcical letter of pardon fro his palace which would reach just after the execution happened, hence absolving him of his guilt.....in asia, they dont just treat such people as low status - which probably happens everywhere. they are not accepted as human - due to the deep notions of pure and impure.....
I greatly appreciate your content. I am wishing you and your family much prosperity in these perilous times. We love you Shogo!! 💚
You have reiterated so much, so quickly, so well. THANK YOU. You are preserving history.
Shogo-kun, I am PROUD to come from Buraku people. My grandfather was a butcher. My uncle is a butcher. My uncle told me that my grandfather fed his whole neighborhood during the Great Depression. Neighbors would pay him at the end of every month. He kept people alive. I am proud of my people. 🥩🩸🔪
That's something to be proud of! Keep that sentiment alive!
Truly heroic! I wish many of these old phobias and such would die off!
@@Lunacyk Thank-you! 🙏🏻
Its so interesting, where I come from (Mexico) butchers were well respected and appreciated by the whole community, their houses/shops would be in the middle of towns. I come from a family of ranchers and butchers too!
Hi Matthew. You should! 🙌 I'm part native scandinavian (Saami) and part Roma (Gypsy). I've experienced this here discrimination in the most PC of all countries: Sweden. Sucks, but there's history behind all discrimination...
I'm curious to know if you grew up in Japan? 🙂
Imagine being hated for performing a job everyone will need and being hated for it
I mean, it would make more sense if it were for a thief, murderer or criminal ancestor (although modern people have no fault for it) but for providing clothes and food? What?
Thank you. It is often helpful, I have discovered, for those grappling with a particular problem to observe how other societies/cultures handle the same problems. To let you know, I live in the state of Alabama in the USA, and we have our own particularly pernicious problem of discrimination to deal with. What might be helpful might be methods for addressing shame in Japanese culture. US citizens don't really have this, and there is a lot of push going on right now to obscure our own history (obviously an error) because parents do not want their children feeling ashamed of their own history. I understand that there is significant social pressure to avoid both shaming and shame in Japanese society, but what can be done if such is unavoidable? Are there any social mechanisms for such? At any rate, I found this to be extremely enlightening, and I look forward to your future content.
This is really good topics.
Wonderful, Shogo.
Back since 1990 a friend told me about Burakumin. This is very interesting. Thank you for the upload.
3:38 that reminds me a lot of the Indian class system we learned about at university. I know Germany gets often targeted when it comes to discrimination of a certain group of people (bc of WW2), but actually they are so many other countries that still have a cruel class systems that discriminates against a group of people, it’s just never talked about. Thank you for this video!❤️
I've heard that people with disabilities in Japan also experience some amount of discrimination. Is there any truth to that or is this something that has been corrected? I would really love to see a video touching on this if the discrimination is true. Thank you for the work you do to make these videos. I really enjoy learning from your perspective on the various topics covered here.
I only recently found your channel but I've always found the history, culture, and many other aspects of various eastern cultures fascinating, and Japan is one of the most interesting to me. Needless to say your channel is right up my alley so to speak. I hope that you and your family are doing well and that success and happiness continues to find their way to you and your loved ones.
Many places in Japan are not the most wheelchair-accessible ...
Your opening statement is very honorable. We need more people in the world who approach history in this manner. This wisdom applies across the board and I’m thankful for the examples provided. Thank you for providing such knowledge
I first learned about this phenomenon after watching "Departures" many years ago (amazing film btw, with a wonderful soundtrack especially if you're a fan of the cello). I've been curious about whether there has been any progress lately. Thank you for covering this topic!
One time my professor mentioned that the Japanese imperial family had a very close connections with a certain burakumin family. He was somehow reluctant to go in details, but confirmed when I asked if this family was taking care for the royal funerals. I guess it is still a sensitive topic. In France and Spain, there was a minority of untouchables, very similar to burakumin - les Cagot. During the French Revolution most of them managed to burn the church records where evidence for their origins where kept and emmigrated to the New World.
This is just like the cast system in India (it has been officially outlawed, but does not stop people from practicing it). In the country I'm working in (Burma), they would not even let funeral workers in the house unless to pick up body.
Thank you for providing this information in a clear, and easy to understand way...
Such a complex explained social problem. Thank You.
Keep doing Your amazing work🙏👌😃
I didn't even know those Things even Ever Existed in Japan!
Thank you Shogo for Informing Everyone!
Just one Thing: I turned on the Automaticly Generated Subtitles, and then every Time you said "Buraku Problem" it was written "Buddha Problem"!
Thanks for another great video...
This is why enjoy Shogo's videos, as he is more aware of different social issues in Japan, unlike the typical/mainstream Japan video where everyone is always happy and positive to a creepy level, like in the Truman show..
Thank you for such a cogent explanation of this unfortunate issue. It has clarified questions which I had on what's called the Buraku problem.
I really appreciate your teaching style. I took a Japanese history course in college, but I really couldn't absorb much of it, because it was mostly filling in maps and dates constantly and that was such a dry way of learning that I just couldn't take it in. The things you teach are very interesting. Thank you.
Thank you for suaring this account of burakumin status in Japan. It has similiarities to the caste system in india where there is widespread discrimination till this day. I first learnt abour the plight of burakumin aociety from the book by japanese writer Sue Sumii. Her book The river with no bridge was translated into english n i reco.mend this book to anyone interested on this subject. Thank u for sharing this story on the longsuffering of this marginalised people of Japan.
As Denzel Washington said, race is a problem of relation. No policy that the government writes will make us like each other. It begins with each one of us to take a step and relating to others.
It's funny that a Hollywood actor can figure this out better than politicians that served in the Senate for the past half a century.
You really cover topics that are incredibly controversial and don't get nearly enough press in Japan. Bringing attention to these things is a public service and you should be lauded for it! Thank you for your channel.
Thank you for spreading this knowledge outside Japan. Everyone has a story and spreading awareness is important.
I live in Canada and I've always seen people who work at funeral homes as being essential. Everybody does die, and they are the ones who make us presentable when we pass on. I've always considered the ensuring the dead are presentable for their families for their ceremonies, was a very important and very very solemn thing to seek out as a career path. I know I could never do it but I hope when I do die the person who is responsible for my presentation works there very best.
Wow this is really eye opening. I read that Japan is the least diverse country with 98% Japanese ethnicity. Discrimination against other ethnicity is one thing, but discrimination within the very same ethnicity is something unthinkable for me.
I mean to me it's kind of sad, but also obvious. Discrimination and 'othering' is a human trait. If they can't find easily distinguishable differences such as religion, skin colour or ethnicity then they'll find some other way to do it.
As a child I had others mock me because I wore my backpack on two straps instead of one like many others did. Senseless, right? Well, what happens when those kids become adults? The underlying psychological mechanisms are probably similar. Some may rationalise their prejudice but in many cases I think that's just justification. There are things I am opposed to ideologically but I do not treat individuals of those groups poorly. Everyone is a human before they are their labels.
@@netrunningnow RACE AND ETHNICITY AREN'T THE SAME.
Your videos are very interesting. Thank you for the effort you put into this video.
Very interesting video! Thank you for sharing information on this serious topic.
In 2009 Google Earth allowed the overlaying of old maps. Some old maps showed Burakumin areas and the people living in them all of a sudden were discriminated against. So silly.
I'm well out of my weeb phase, but its still so awesome to have such an in depth window in to another people's culture. Thanks Shogo!
Congratulations, you're an actual humanbeing now, and deserve to be breathing👏👏👏👏
Bravo. I wholeheartedly applaud your courage of speaking about this subject, friend.
I prefer to not speed up your videos.
I like your pacing, it gives me time to think and take in what you are saying.
It's also calming and has a nice flow to it
I live in Japan man... You have my respect for talking about this. Not many Japanese would.
I would love to see your take on the Japanese organisation Shindo Renmei, a group of Japanese immigrants in South America that denied Japan losing world war II and killed several other Japanese who accepted that fact
Love watching your Japanese views being a generous person. Insightful and you have such kindness to share.
One of the best channels on youtube reporting real japan by a japanese . Congratz, it takes a lots of courage to be honest about your homeland. Would like to watch a video with you speaking only in Japanese . Keep doing your job 👍 from Portugal 🤝
It's fascinating to see every culture suffers from some sort of discrimination. Here in America, there is most definitely discrimination, based on skin color and education. I have many friends who can't get jobs, because they could not go college (this is just for being a janitor for a local junior college) and other friends who have gotten hired for their specific race, and not getting the job they applied for. because by hiring them, the company could meet a qouta, for having a "diverse staff".
Bro we got discrimination based on everything in every culture. Wealth race gender education. Every culture has discrimination based on these things. Humans are shitty
@@RusticRonnie Problem is America speaks so highly of itself and ignores these problems to avoid accountability.
@@alan.92 They do not. Americans are the most obnoxious about their discrimination, history and present.
Being descendants of puritans seems to carry the cultural baggage of not being chill about anything.
@@iwankazlow2268 try being German. There is no news show without mentioning nazis, Jews, WW2 or the Holocaust. It's everyday. Everyday we're told that we're evil. It's fun.
@@watashiboku7225 Germans lost and the ideology was enforced on. The US didn't loose anything official.
Thank you for another great video again .. But did u mistake when u said “after 3years of discrimination it would not be easy to change” ... did you mean “300 years.” . tnx
I always write down any history that i watched on youtube, and it makes me excited to write the history when you put the table of content😆
Thank you for covering difficult problems like this. I stand with you, and say human is human. No matter how, where or to whom you were born, you deserve a chance. Some will use that to prove they're hateful, but most people in even the most hostile regions just want to live their lives.