The Buraku Liberation Center (BLC) and the Kyodan’s Kanto District jointly sponsored the Buraku Liberation, Kanto District Caravan 2011. Held between June 25 and July 4, the five members of the caravan, including the summer intern at the BLC, visited churches along the 1,177 km (729.74 mile) route in the five prefectures of the district, gave presentations calling for an end to buraku discrimination, and did field work along the way. A total of 1,373 people attended the events at 22 separate locations. Two of the caravan members gave the following reports on their meaningful experiences during that time.

Fieldwork Investigation at the Ashio Copper Mine

by Inukai Mitsuhiro

As the schedule included the “Ashio Seminar,” I was looking forward to once again studying about Tanaka Shozo, but the seminar turned out to be something very different. What I saw was the remains of the Ashio Copper Mine, the memorial stone commemorating the Korean and Chinese workers who had been forcibly taken there, and a barren mountain that remained in spite of concerted efforts over the years to replant a forest on it.

In the Chikuho District of Kyushu is located the famous Hyuga Cemetery, which contains the graves of Koreans forcibly brought to the area to work in the large Omine Coal Mine operated by the Furukawa Mining Company. The pictures of Chikuho, drawn by Yamamoto Sakubei, have been registered in the UNESCO World Documentary Heritage program, but I was surprised to learn that the application to make Ashio Copper Mine a World Heritage Site is being pursued from the standpoint of something that contributed to the modernization of Japan rather than as a “negative heritage.”

As our guide, Hirayama Masamichi (pastor of Yojomachi Church in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture) pointed to a naturally secluded valley surrounded by mountains on three sides and a river on the other, he said, “This is where there was a settlement of Koreans.” Now there are various campsites and seminar houses where lots of children and young people come to study. But I wonder what it is that they actually study.

Unless someone explains the true history of this place, it will—just like Chikuho—disappear into oblivion. It will also be like the nearby Toshogu Shrine area in Nikko, which we had also visited earlier. There, the ancient road leading up to the shrines is lined with cedar trees that have grown to giant size over the centuries. There is, however, a break in the line of trees on both sides of the highway. This is where it went by the area of the discriminated-against buraku. Of the tens of thousands of visitors that go up that road every year, I wonder how many of them even notice it.

Sayama

by Koito Kensuke

On July 4, the last day of the Caravan, caravan members along with other interested persons, spent the morning visiting the buraku area in Sayama, where the biggest frame-up in the history of buraku discrimination occurred—the infamous “Sayama Incident.” As the result of the incessant pressure put on him by the police, along with their false promises, Ishikawa Kazuo consented to signing the trumped-up confession, in which the details of his alleged crime were written up. But as we followed the supposed route of the crime, looking at the details, it is very obvious that the story cooked up by the investigators is utterly impossible. Following the “confession,” as is, certainly drove that point home to me.
Unfortunately, the relevant points along the route have changed rather dramatically over the years, as roads were widened and paved and new buildings built, so that little remains of the situation as it was at the time of the incident almost 50 years ago. I could not help but think that those who want to hide the facts of this incident are more than happy to see these changes in the landscape.

In the midst of that, however, the headquarters of the effort to overturn the Sayama trial is in a small museum-like structure that is a re-creation of Ishikawa’s home at the time of the incident. There we met with Ishikawa himself to listen to what he had to say. He finished his talk with a Tanka poem that he had written, which roughly translates as: “The tears resulting from my sufferings, instead of drying up, have become a river. Riding on that torrent, let’s break down the walls of the court.” As I listened to that poem, I could only long for the day when he would finally get his day in court to prove his innocence.

In the afternoon, we all went to nearby Sayama Church for the final worship service concluding the “Buraku Liberation, Kanto District Caravan 2011.” All five caravan members gave reports on their experiences and shared various pictures, along with some songs. Ishikawa Kazuo gave another talk after that, and we all listened intently to his appeal.

Ishikawa’s wife also talked to us about their ongoing fight, and we all felt anew the importance of continuing to support them in their struggle. It was a fitting ending to our caravan tour. (Tr. TB)

From Kyodan Shinpo (Kyodan Times)

「部落解放　関東教区キャラバン2011」を
2011年6月25日～7月4日迄、日本基督教団関東教区と部落解放センターの共催で開催しました。キャラバン隊4名とセンター実習生の5名で関東教区内5県を部落差別がなくなる事を願い、研修とフィールドワークをして参りました。走行1177キロ、22会場1373名の参加者でありました。各地で恵み多き集会でありましたが、隊員2名の報告をさせていただきます。

「足尾鉱山フィールドワーク」犬養光博
予定表に足尾研修とあったので、もう一度田中正造のことが学べる，と楽しみにしていましたが、全く違っていました。足尾銅山跡、強制連行されて来た朝鮮人や中国人の慰霊碑、そして年月が経ち，多くの人々が必死に植樹をしたにも関わらず，未だにあらわになっている裸の山。
九州の筑豊に、大きな炭坑を経営している古川鉱業所がある。有名になった日向墓地は古川鉱業所大峰炭坑に強制連行された朝鮮人の墓です。
筑豊では山本作兵衛さんの絵がユネスコの記憶の世界遺産に登録されたのですが、足尾銅山は「負の遺産」ではなく、日本近代化に貢献した、という視点で世界遺産を狙っているのに驚きました。
「ここに朝鮮人の集落がありました。」案内してくださった平山正道先生（四條町教会）の手の先を見ました。そこは、前は川、三方は山に囲まれた天然の隔離地でした。それにしてもあちこちにキャンプ地や研修所が出来て、子どもたちが沢山やってくると聞きました。何を研修するのでしょう。
誰かがきちんと説明してくれなければ、過去の歴史はどんどん消されているのは筑豊も同じでした。事実が消されるという意味では、足尾銅山に来る前に急いで立ち寄った日光東照宮の参道の両側に植えられている杉の並木が、被差別部落の所だけ抜けている，と聞いてびっくりしました。何万という参拝者の誰がその事に気付くでしょう。

「狭山」小糸健介
キャラバン最終日の7月4日月曜日、午前中キャラバン隊メンバーと有志で向かった先は、部落差別が引き起こした最大の冤罪事件と言える「狭山事件」の現場とされる場所へのフィールドワークであった。警察の執拗な取り調べに屈して嘘の「自白」をさせられた石川一雄さんが事件当日動いたとされる足取りを追う中で、改めて実際こんな動き方をするわけないのに警察の創作によって冤罪の物語が作られてしまったのだと実感させられた。また、最寄り駅をはじめとして道路なども次々と整備や舗装がされていて、事件当日の面影を残すものがほとんどなくなってしまっていることにも、事件の風化を望む者たちの影が見え隠れする、そのような思いを抱かせた。そんな中で、当時の家が再現された作りとなっている狭山裁判闘争基地本部で石川一雄さんとお会いすることができ、お話を聞いた後に一句作ってくださった。「苦難故涙は涸れずに川となり司法に激流となって攻め入らん」狭山事件の再審がなされ、石川一雄さんの無罪が証明される日が来ることを心から願わずにはいられない。
午後から会場を狭山教会に移し、「みんな集まれ、部落解放関東教区キャラバン2011」完走礼拝がもたれた。キャラバン隊5人がそれぞれ写真と歌を織り交ぜながら今回のキャラバンでまわった各地についての報告を行った。そして再び石川一雄さんからのお話を伺う機会が与えられ、参加者一同は熱心に耳を傾けていた。石川さんのお連れ合いからも力強い話を聞くことができ、皆で支えていくことの大切さを改めて思わされた。キャラバンも幕を閉じることとなった。（教団新報より）