Paper short abstract:

This paper will illuminate how different activists and lawmakers view the goals of the Bill for the Promotion of the Elimination of Buraku Discrimination, the desired outcome and what they ultimately expect to see the bill do for buraku issues throughout the country.

Paper long abstract:

As is often the case with public policy laws, the challenges come in interpreting the difference between the national law and the local implementation. Noticeable in the wording in the Bill for the Promotion of the Elimination of Buraku Discrimination is the stipulation that the state works with local governments based on the needs of their respective communities. While this aspirational approach is laudable, it also gives one pause. This law was presented as a measure to end buraku discrimination, yet because it does not provide a statement on universal policies, it leaves implementation policies at the discretion of local communities. As such, there is the potential for a vast difference in understanding, implementation, and response based in different parts of the country. Indeed, some local governments may not even make use of these policies at all. This was the case with the long-standing Dōwa Laws, which resulted in uneven outcomes. To explore how this new law and its relationship with the earlier Dōwa Laws, this paper draws on interviews with various stakeholders, including lawmakers and social movement activists. In particular, I will investigate the responses to the proposed law by various activists, ranging from members of the largest buraku social movement group, the Buraku Liberation League, young activists who are intentionally not connected with the "older generation movements." In so doing, I will illuminate how different activists and lawmakers view the goals of the law, the desired outcome and what they ultimately expect to see the bill do for buraku issues throughout the country.