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Images of Edo: reinterpreting “Japanese history” and the “buraku” through community-based narratives

Images of Edo: reinterpreting “Japanese history” and the “buraku” through community-based narratives AbstractIn contemporary Japan, people labeled as “burakumin” (‘hamlet people’)are commonly described as the descendants of Tokugawa-era outcasts ofJapan, who were engaged in special occupations (e.g., leather industry, meatpacking, street entertainment, drum making) and compelled to live in separateareas. Despite the heterogeneity of these populations, determination of “burakuorigin” (buraku shusshin) has remained fixed over time and is based on one’sbirth, former or current residence in a buraku, and engagement in the burakuindustries. This paper illustrates representations of the buraku through localand community-based initiatives and narratives. It explores the short story“Yomigaetta Kurobe” (‘Resurrected Kurobe’) by Kawamoto Yoshikazu and therole and activities of the Archives Kinegawa Museum of Education and LeatherIndustry, located in Kinegawa in Sumida Ward (Tokyo) with a special focus onchildren’s participation. By reinterpreting the “Edo tradition,” activists, educators,children, and other individuals in the community transform the “otherness”and blur the boundaries to normalize yet take pride in the “specialness”of the buraku. They do so by drawing on commonplace factors including hardwork and the everyday usefulness of objects, as well as special qualities suchas skills and craftsmanship. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Contemporary Japan de Gruyter

Images of Edo: reinterpreting “Japanese history” and the “buraku” through community-based narratives

Cangià, Flavia
Contemporary Japan , Volume 25 (1): 24 – Mar 1, 2013
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Publisher
de Gruyter
Copyright
© 2013 Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin Boston
ISSN
1869-2737
eISSN
1869-2737
DOI
10.1515/cj-2013-0002
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

AbstractIn contemporary Japan, people labeled as “burakumin” (‘hamlet people’)are commonly described as the descendants of Tokugawa-era outcasts ofJapan, who were engaged in special occupations (e.g., leather industry, meatpacking, street entertainment, drum making) and compelled to live in separateareas. Despite the heterogeneity of these populations, determination of “burakuorigin” (buraku shusshin) has remained fixed over time and is based on one’sbirth, former or current residence in a buraku, and engagement in the burakuindustries. This paper illustrates representations of the buraku through localand community-based initiatives and narratives. It explores the short story“Yomigaetta Kurobe” (‘Resurrected Kurobe’) by Kawamoto Yoshikazu and therole and activities of the Archives Kinegawa Museum of Education and LeatherIndustry, located in Kinegawa in Sumida Ward (Tokyo) with a special focus onchildren’s participation. By reinterpreting the “Edo tradition,” activists, educators,children, and other individuals in the community transform the “otherness”and blur the boundaries to normalize yet take pride in the “specialness”of the buraku. They do so by drawing on commonplace factors including hardwork and the everyday usefulness of objects, as well as special qualities suchas skills and craftsmanship.

Journal

Contemporary Japan – de Gruyter

Published: Mar 1, 2013

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