Tomoe Kawasaki
College Staff

"My parents didn’t tell me much about Buraku, and they raised me as far away from the Buraku as possible. They didn’t want me to suffer any discrimination.
Upon taking a class about Buraku issues in college, I started to face my family roots − roots that I was forgetting.

I sometimes wrestled with my parents' protective love, and it made me anxious; I wondered if other people would accept me having a Buraku origin. At the same time, it was overwhelmingly joyful for me to learn so much about myself in the contexts of history, culture and people.

Now, I often visit my hometown, the Buraku where I lived until the age of 7.  Now I am weaving a story that leads to me through the people I was reunited with there.

When I took the plunge and faced my roots, and then leaped further into my past, I found a world so wonderful."