ABSTRACT
Among the marginalized peoples of contemporary Japan, there is a group labeled Hisabetsu Burakumin (the people of the hamlet subject to discrimination; hereafter Burakumin). As the “invisible inner Other,” in no way different from mainstream Japanese, Burakumin have historically been discriminated against for their occupations and bloodline. Buraku, or hamlets, are scattered throughout Japan, except for the islands of Hokkaido and Okinawa Prefecture, and are concentrated in the western half of the country (Amino 2000: 42–45). Since there are no physical characteristics or surnames that differentiate them from other Japanese, the Burakumin are identified by their permanent addresses, something which indicates that their ancestors likely belonged to discriminated hamlets.
