Reverse Discrimination in Japan: Commonsense Knowledge and Practical

Abstract

Discrimination against“buraku”areas and the minority people who are born or live in them has been a major problem in Japan. In the 1960s, the Japanese government announced a long-term plan to solve the buraku problem. Some of the solutions have complicated the problem. Non-buraku citizens have sensed reverse discrimination from administrative measures aimed at improving the quality of life in buraku areas. The present study investigated the reasoning that non-buraku citizens living and working near buraku areas use when they complain of reverse discrimination.Interviews were carried out with four elementary or junior high school teachers working in schools in which pupils from buraku areas were enrolled, and also with four housewives living near buraku areas. Responses indicated that: (a) complaints revolved around practical issues related to everyday life, (b) nonburaku citizens whose economic status was low complained more about reverse discrimination than did wealthier citizens; their remarks reflected widespread beliefs and prejudices that keep people from addressing the buraku issue, and (c) complaints were often justified by“self-righteous reasoning” (e. g., ‘everyone should be treated equally’ and ‘people should not rely on other people's help too readily’).