Burakumin

The Burakumin are a historic Japanese social minority traditionally associated with occupations regarded as impure or tainted, and with residence in segregated neighborhoods known as buraku. The origin of the group lies in a feudal-era ordering of society that linked certain hereditary trades—such as leather workers and tanners, butchers, grave diggers, executioners, and other stake trades—to a stigmatized status. Alongside these occupations, some peddlers and service workers formed buraku communities. The status was hereditary, and endogamy within buraku helped maintain perceived purity of line and occupation, reinforcing lifelong social separation from other communities.

Historically, burakumin lived in districts that were often physically distinct within towns or cities and faced prejudice that extended to marriage, housing, education, and employment opportunities. Although legal reforms in the Meiji period formally abolished the old caste privileges and the legal basis for outcast status, social discrimination persisted in practice for many decades. The terms eta and hinin, once used to designate such groups, carried strong stigma and were gradually replaced in modern usage by Burakumin, though sensitivities remain.

In the postwar era, civil rights movements and government efforts sought to reduce discrimination against burakumin. The Buraku Liberation Movement and government initiatives, collectively aimed at improving access to education, housing, and public services, sought to integrate buraku communities more fully into Japanese society. While discrimination has declined in many areas, attitudes can still linger, and debates about terminology and representation continue. Today, Burakumin are widely understood as a historical and contemporary minority within Japan, with ongoing work toward equality and social inclusion.