Why were Japanese samurai allowed to kill innocent people indiscriminately during the Meiji Restoration?

From our perspective today, Japan is a civilized country, and there is very little news about racial conflicts. However, what is less known is that the racial conflicts within Japan were also quite serious before the Meiji Restoration.

Not only historians agree with this, but it is also reflected in many Japanese TV dramas. For example, a Japanese TV drama "Niichi" a few years ago depicted a turbulent era before the Meiji Restoration. In that era, the lower-class people were called Hudo, that is, untouchables. They had no human rights at all at that time, and their lives were not protected or respected in any way. Some tyrannical samurai often choose to use these innocent people to test their swords. The so-called sword test is to massacre the common people. Even a good-looking man who walks well will suffer the fate of being ruthlessly chopped off. The samurai will not be punished in any way afterwards.

However, such cruel things are allowed by Japanese law! This is simply sensational and outrageous! It was not until Emperor Meiji learned from the Western system that he carried out social reforms and abolished this cruel system. From then on, the abused people became civilians, got rid of their status as untouchables, and began to have a little life. Live decently.

Maybe every country has its own internal problems, which we foreigners don’t know about. Some people may say that this is a thing of the past before the Meiji Restoration. It is a scar that belongs to many people. Why bother? Bring it up again. Isn’t this no longer the case in today’s civilized society? But the fact is that such class discrimination still exists in Japan today.

After the Meiji Restoration, although these original untouchables were not killed as casually as some before, they were still discriminated against in many things. For example, these civilians did not have the right to vote, and even had to travel. Despite the restrictions, politicians at all levels of society still do not have their share. They are still outside the mainstream society and do not get the rights they deserve.

This situation lasted until the end of World War II. Japan became a constitutional monarchy, and civilians who originally did not have the right to vote had some of the rights they deserved. This is the first time in thousands of years that these people, known as untouchables, have gained any political rights. But today, these people are called Burakumin and are still treated differently. The number of these Burakumin is huge, reaching two million at one time. Society still discriminates against them to this day. It is conceivable that these two million people are a huge undercurrent.

Although they are able to work and travel freely, they are regarded as having a despicable bloodline. Therefore, Japanese parents will not allow their children to marry Burakumin, because Japan is a country that attaches great importance to bloodline. They are untouchables today. All other rights they have can be tolerated, but the bloodline issue is a bottom line that must not be touched easily. They stick to their own bottom line and must not be tarnished. This concept has become a common practice among the Japanese. This concept comes from Japanese historical data. Historical data records that the blood of untouchables is always despicable, and their children will still bear this deep imprint that cannot be washed away. .

Many Japanese companies will treat them differently when recruiting. As long as they see that these applicants come from places where Burakumin live, they will give up the employment without further examination. Therefore, this kind of discrimination is still prevalent in all walks of life in Japan. It is a common status quo. This kind of discrimination even exists in the government. As long as people born in tribal settlements find it difficult to reach high positions, even if they manage to rely on If he could withstand the insults of others because of his talent, he would not have the chance to be elected as prime minister. The issue of his background has even become a topic of ridicule repeatedly by his political opponents.

Such a situation is absolutely self-destructive in a government that claims to be democratic, but such a situation exists in Japan today, and because its millennium-old traditions are very difficult to eradicate, this is worse than that of the United States. The conflict between blacks and whites will last longer and become more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

In view of this situation, many tribal people rose up in protest. They established various joint committees to put forward their own opinions to the government. Although the demands did exist and were very urgent, they still had little effect.

Because the vast majority of people in the government still discriminate against them, how can we expect that such a government will make reforms.

This situation directly led to the rebellion of many Burakumin. Since they were not recognized by society, they simply began to self-exile. A large number of Burakumin became members of the underworld, because the nature of the underworld determines its There will be no excessive discrimination. This becomes a vicious circle. The more you are not treated equally, the more you rebel. The more you are rebellious, the more you are not treated equally. Burakumin have become a factor of social instability, which further reinforces people's previous misunderstandings, and their hope of obtaining reasonable rights and interests becomes even more elusive. Perhaps today the Japanese government can no longer avoid this kind of contradiction, otherwise it will lead to social unrest sooner or later.