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Caste in Japan William H Newell

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Caste in Japan William H Newell THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY ANNUAL NUMBER FEBRUARY 1964 Caste in Japan William H Newell Buddhism is supposed to have been a reaction against Hinduism and its system of social stratification. Yet it is interesting that in Tibet, Korea, Japan and, possibly, China there has existed, and still exists to some extent, a well developed caste system with its characteristic features of endogamy, pollution and hierarchy. In Japan historians have attempted to show that some of the lower caste groups originated from emi­ grant Koreans as early as in the thirteenth century. But it is clear that the majority of the lower castes are in fact Japanese, originating in the past from various occupational groups like fishermen, leather-workers, armourers, prison wardens, temple dancers, gypsies and cemetery attendants. The number of lower caste people in Japan is increasing in the rural areas, both absolutely and proportionately to the total population. Even so, the lower castes probably do not constitute more than 2 per cent of the total Japanese population. Since the War, the lower castes have tended to be divided into two sections, one seeking upward mobi­ lity through the increased economic opportunities and a smaller section concerned with remaining as >t was and defending its traditional position. With continually rising standards of living, the economic differences between the lower castes and the rest of the population are getting blurred. In contrast, however, the political importance of the lower castes is increasing. A national organisation for the emancipation of the lower castes has been in existence since the War. This organisation is also powerful as a vote-catcher at the elections and both the Liberal Democrats and Socialists rival each other in wooing it. INDIA is such a large country interesting that in Tibet, Korea, be said conclusively that within the covering such a large portion of Japan and possibly China (if one limits of modern scientific know­ the world's surface and with such a counts the discrimination against ledge there is absolutely no physi­ large population that the method the Tanka people as caste discrimi­ cal difference between members of by which it organises its people in­ nation) there has existed and still Japanese castes. to different religious, territorial exists to some extent a well deve­ The second important point is and economic groups has always loped caste system with its usual that in Japan every family within been a fascinating field for ling­ features of endogamy, pollution and the boundaries of the Empire has uists, anthropologists and culture hierarchy. All these are countries the names of its members inscribed historians. In the course of this which can be said to be Buddhist in a Koseki (a family register) study the emphasis has always been in the sense that much of their cul­ and this register is kept by the va­ on the uniqueness or special fea­ ture is based on Buddhist forms. rious local offices within Japan. In tures of Indian society to such an This seems unlikely to be an acci­ fact if one were to define a Japa­ extent that similar social or histo­ dent. nese, the best way to do so would rical features elsewhere in the world No Physical Differences be to state that a Japanese is a per­ have often been overlooked or not son who is registered as a citizen of sufficiently emphasised. This applies It might be argued that the caste some local unit within Japanese ter­ especially to the field of caste stu­ distinctions in these countries were ritorial boundaries. The Japanese dies. In fact, the international maga­ a remnant of earlier races or reli­ nation from one point of view is a zine Current Sociology devoted one gions which became, so to speak, fos­ union of Japanese families registered ci its issues to the study of caste silized, were it not for the Japanese by the local authorities. This defini­ and in the introduction it was as­ situation. So in this short article I tion from a sociological point of sumed that since most of the stu­ propose to deal with the Japanese view has a number of important dies of caste have been made in situation with a few remarks why consequences, but from the point of India, it was hardly necessary to the situation in Japan is of import­ view of this article it means that include examples from other parts ant theoretical interest to Indian it is possible to trace every single of the world. About the only com­ students of sociology and politics. family in the patrilineal line often parative study of caste which has for several hundred years. Thus his­ ever been made is the one publish­ The first important point is that torical research in Japan is of an ed by the late A M Hocart "Les in Japan there is no national phy­ extremely high quality. Castes" but even there the only ex­ sical distinction between people of different castes. Japanese physical amples taken are from the Indian An attempt has been made by and Sinhalese side of Asia. anthropologists have been attempting for at least a hundred years to show various historians to show that some Traditionally, Buddhism was sup­ that the bottom Japanese caste has of the lower Japanese caste groups- posed to have been a reaction distinctive physical characteristics originated from emigrant Koreans as against Hinduism and its system of which mark them off from ordinary early as in the thirteenth century. stratification. Yet it seems rather Japanese (termed heimin). It can But it is also clear that the majo- 229 THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY ANNUAL NUMBER FEBRUARY 1964 230 THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY ANNUAL NUMBER FEBRUARY 1964 rity of this lower caste are in fact Be that as it may, with the Meiji very caste-conscious, the fringe set­ ordinary Japanese originating in the restoration in 1868 all residents of tlements are disappearing into historical past from various special­ Japan were supposed to be given ordinary slums and certain tradi­ ist occupational groups. Some of equal treatment by the government tional occupations such as shoe re­ these occupational groups were: as subjects of the Emperor and all pairing and manufacture tend to be fishermen, (the founder of Nichiren families had the right to acquire dominated by ordinary Japanese. Buddhism was supposed to have surnames, a right previously reserv­ Tokyo is one such city where the been such a fisherman), leather ed only to certain classes. At the burakumin are probably being ab­ workers, armourers, prison wardens, time of their legal emancipation in sorbed. There are probably not more temple dancers, gypsies or cemetery 1871, 300,000 of the burakumin than a few thousand known buraku­ attendants. In addition certain ordi­ living in special districts were enu­ min in Tokyo, a city of ten million nary Japanese were sometimes de­ merated. Since this total included population. moted to the status of a bottom only people in the special areas, the caste as a form of punishment by numbers were certainly much lar­ On the other hand burakumin are the daimyo. ger in the whole of Japan. Since increasing by birth and recruitment 1871 it has been illegal to count from other minority elements in Discrimination in Tokugawa Period them, register them or to discrimi­ Japanese society and as a result of As far as can be gathered, during nate against them; but it is certain absorption of ordinary Japanese the Tokugawa feudal period there that today the number is much who prefer to be burakumin. No were two main distinctions within larger. In 1915 it was about 800,000; person as far as I am aware has the bottom caste termed hinin and today the best reports indicate at ever tried to work out an all-Japan eta. Hinin means "Not a full per­ least L5 million. Burakumin are burakumin index of fertility and I son", and although the etymology found principally in the Kinki dis­ would not even like to make a wild of the word eta is obscure, it is trict of Japan (Hiroshima, Yama- guess. guchi and Okayama) and also in usually regarded as meaning "dir­ Koreans, a Separate Group ty". The eta were apparently a sort Fukuoka, Shikoku and the area of aristocracy among the lower caste around Nara, the ancient Japanese But I was very interested in visit­ and remained permanently eta. Hi­ capital. According to Professor Jiro ing a certain village about 50 miles nin were often made servants of eta Suzuki (Orient West, July 1961, from Kyoto in order to observe a but apparently under certain cir­ volume 6, No 7, p 9), of 4,925 small community of Koreans living cumstances could regain the status known special residential districts separately from the village who of a heimin, ordinary Japanese, The more than half contain fewer than had been brought to Japan during upper and lower castes were rigo­ 20 households, while in those con­ the war as labour and who were not rously endogamous and in Tokuga­ taining a population of more than able or willing to return to Korea, wa it appears that hinin and eta in 500, found only in large cities, there The children spoke Japanese as their some areas were also endogamous are less than 0.3 per cent of the principal language and in the school among themselves. However today total estimated number. But this is were segregated from the Japanese. this distinction no longer exists and only guesswork in the absence of a The Koreans were not regarded as a general term, burakumin (mem­ census. belonging to the main tonari (neigh­ bers of a special district) is used bourhood system) of the village to apply to the whole of this lower Incorporation into Urban Life and were not represented in the group.
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