OUTCASTS OF JAPAN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20362, 20 March 1928, Page 13

OUTCASTS OF JAPAN.

DAN DISREGARDS LAW, ORIGIN A MYSTERY. AN EMANCIPATION MOVEMENT. The recent attempt of a private soldier fo make a direct appeal to the Emperor has drawn attention to the hard lot of the Japanese “ Eta,” or outcasts, known nowadays, for reasons that will ba apparent 'later, as “ Suiheisha” (literally “ Water-level people ”). The soldier in question was a member of this despised class and had long been smarting under, the discriminatory treatment meted out'to himself and his fellowoutcasts, both in the army and in civil life. By taking the unusual step of leaving Iris place in the ranks in order to present a petition to the Emperor in person while the Japanese Ruler was holding a military review at Nagoya, he hoped to ease their lot and have an end put to the insults heaped upon them. The exact origin of the Japanese outcast class has always been something of a mstery. Tire most likely explanation, however, seems to be that it is closely connected with Shintoism, a religion which insisted an the avoidance of all impurities, especially defilement by blood, by mutilation, and by death. As blood had -so be -shed and the dead burled, a special class of people,,was set aside for the performance of such duties. At first no stigma attached to those detailed to these tasks, but in process of time they became objects of contempt and became ostracised by their fellows. In 1871 the Emperor Meiji issued i decree putting this special class of people on an equality with other commoners-, but, though equal by- law, they still remain social outcasts in the eyes of their countrymen, despite ' the fact that cthnologicaily and physically there is frothing to distinguish them from other Japanese and that not a few of them have risen to great wealth. The discrimination complained of is, therefore, social, not legal. Consequently it is all tile move difficult to remove. Members of the Eta class, though they may be men of culture and of means, are debarred from all social intercourse with those who knew them to be of the outcast class, and inter-marriage is virtually unknown, except it: stances such as 'those in which the Eta party to' the marriage has hidden his or her real identity, hometimes the deception has been found out later, and tfiis has been considered just cause for divorce. In recent years, however, the outcasts who aie said to number between two and three million, have started to assert themselves and to take common action to rid themselves of the stigma under which they labour. The Suiheisha movement, ns it is cailcd, has, in consequence, assumed tile proportions of a serious problem. Blood has be-sn spilt on more than ■ one occasion during the past few years in clashes that have resulted from this movement, and houses have been burned down or otherwise wrecked by Suiheisha men who have banded themselves together to avenge some real or imaginary insult to one of their number. So much do these outcast people resent, tlie contempt shown toward them, .that nowadays a Japanese newspaper which is foolish enoueh to refer to them, even ;n friendly terms, by the name of "Eta ” —. the name by which they- 'were always known in former times and which is an offensive term signifying “ unclean ” will be straightway visited by Suiheisha representatives with a deand to apologise or else take the consequences. Nor is this o mere empty threat. While, therefore, it is true that mcm- , hers of the outcast class are grossly discriminated against socially, they are now beginning to “ gat- some of their own hack.’’ '