This is the translation of a number of important articles by Suehiro Kitaguchi in which he deals with the problem of discrimination against Japan's historic "unclean" underclass, the "burakumin." The translator, Alastair McLauchlan, has done an excellent job in editing these papers and adding a highly informative introduction. Together with Kitaguchi's text, the introduction provides a succinct and instructive overview of Japanese anti-buraku prejudice and its social consequences. The book also includes an index and an appendix with reference materials such as government ordinances, commission reports, etc.
Structured in a question-and-answer format, the book offers a wealth of information about the burakumin, the former outcasts whose subclass status was formally abolished by the 1871 Meiji Emancipation Edict, but who continued to suffer from various forms of discrimination well into the present. While concentrating on the plight of people of bu-raku descent, author and translator are not oblivious to the many antidiscrimination measures the government and private organizations have undertaken.
Their conclusion is clear: Much has been accomplished, but remnants of prejudice remain and awareness of discrimination is still low. There is no reason, therefore, to consider the problem solved.