Burakumin: Descendants of caste considered 'tainted' face new discrimination in Japan 'Why is this happening to us? Why are we different?' ...

Despite the numbers, the issue is something of a taboo in Japan: Mention the word "burakumin" in conversation and the response you often get is a polite silence.

Japan is home to a little-known group of outcasts who are battling discrimination. The burakumin are ethnically identical to their compatriots, but are descended from feudal-era workers who were ...