Essay Draft... Incomplete

Should Children Know About the Buraku Problem?

Introduction

              “If your boyfriend or girlfriend from Buraku society, will you get marry with him or her?” This was one of the questions that I was asked in a class of high school. I got confused by this question because it was the first time that I recognize the Buraku problem. In other words, I had never heard of the word, “Buraku” until I became a high school student.

              According to S. Kitaguchi and G. Groemer, Buraku was accepted as one term of social class eta, or impure, which was not included the traditional hierarchy of Shi-nou-kou- shou (samurai or warriors, farmers, artisans, and merchants) during the period of Tokugawa (1603-1867) (cited in Gordon 2) and people in Buraku are started to be discriminated. However, it is not just a history, but the effect of the term is still continuing as Buraku problem in some parts of Japan even in these days.

              To abolish the problem, school curriculum should be changed to teach this issue more positively. Thus, during their junior high school lives, children should know about the Buraku problem through classes. It is because the problem might be prevented and abolished by giving children the correct knowledge from their childhood.

Ⅰ． The Current Situations

           In 1871, Meiji Emancipation Edict (Ordinance No. 61) was created to abolish the hierarchy of Shi- nou- kou- shou, but discriminations to Buraku people are not completely removed yet (Kitaguchi 3). For example, marriage is one essential problem which still continues. There are cases that relatives disagree to the marriage of a person who wants to marry his or her partner from Buraku. Although a situation is getting better than past, it cannot be ignored that some people are suffering from the effect.

              As it is written in the first paragraph of this essay, I did not know the existence of Buraku problems until I became a high school student. According to Gordon, Buraku problems are not so noticed in Kanto area (79).

(need survey

              According to Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japanese government guides to give special respect for Buraku problem in social studies class and ethic class. However, it can be known that there is no specific guide for study of Buraku problem.

 (need to continue)

Ⅱ. Opinions of people

              It is important to recognize the opinions of adults, who are responsible for children’s education.

 (no data yet) adults, buraku kaihou doumei, oppositions, etc.

Ⅲ. Possible Solutions

           MEXT mentions that the social studies class and ethic class are structured to respect and be the keys for solution of the Buraku problem. These are basically agreeable ideas, but these curriculums should be changed to make them direct guides to solve the issue. For instance, in social studies class, MEXT leads teachers to teach the importance of fundamental-human-rights during the study relates to the Constitution of Japan. In this case, MEXT does not directly lead to learn about the discrimination. Ethic class is another possible solution for the issue. In ethic class, students learn the fair attitude toward people. These are good way to grow the fair attitude of students, but not so direct way to teach of Buraku problems. Therefore, it is much better to teach the history of issue and mention the problem in the ethic class. Combination of these two classes can be the solution

Moreover, there is one strong way to solve the issue; visit the Buraku and see the current situation of Buraku. In his book, McLauchlan mentions that “the most popular solution offered during the interviews was that people need to witness the reality of modern buraku” (160). If there are chances to visit the Buraku areas, it might be a great experience to learn about the real situation of the Buraku problem for both students and teachers.

Conclusion

Present school curriculum is not positive enough to teach of the Buraku problem or discrimination in Japan. Without correct knowledge, it is impossible to solve not only the Buraku problem, but the other issues, too. Thus, it is important to teach such issues to students, who will lead Japan in the near future without hesitating. It is the sign that Japan start to overcome one negative issue and make it a part of history.

“Works Cited”

Gordon, June A. Japan's Outcaste Youth Education For Liberation. London: 
     Paradigm Publishers, 2008. Print.

Kitaguchi, Suehiro. An Introduction to the Buraku Issue. [Nyumon Buraku 
     Mondai: Ichimon Ittou]. Trans. Alastair McLauchlan. Japan Library, 1999. 
     Print. 
McLauchlan, Alastair. Prejudice and Discrimination in Japan- The Buraku Issue.  
     The Edwin Mellen Press, 2003. Print.

MEXT http://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/hakusho/html/hpad199601
     /hpad199601_2_100.html