Reiko Minamida
Civil Servant

"We decided on getting married after worrying and fretting. We left home despite disapproval from our families, and when we started living together,
my husband told me about his Buraku issues. I wondered why people had to
be discriminated against simply because he came from a Buraku, but he eagerly talked to me.

After our child was born, we started living in my in-laws' house and I was busy with child-rearing and household chores. I was still wondering about “what is Buraku?” and that was when my husband suggested that I get involved
in local Buraku activities.

Thanks to my friends who took care
of me − a novice with lots to learn −
I have been able to lower my roots
in the community and have lived while facing the issues here.

I will continue to live right here, surrounded by my beloved family and grandchildren and my friends looking after me."