Social welfare and scientific racism in modern Japan: discriminated Buraku and the philanthropist Toyohiko Kagawa

Abstract

In the latter half of the nineteenth century, knowledge about human beings, which had previously been sought in a variety of fields, was articulated with the theory of evolution, and a new civilized worldview was formed. Notably, through these interdisciplinary studies and controversies, the perception that human qualities are determined by heredity became widespread and accepted as a basis for eugenic restructuring of modern society. Even in Japan at the same time, knowledge about heredity was widely introduced through criminology and psychiatry, and eventually became an important reference framework when discussing national institutions and policies. Toyohiko Kagawa (1888–1960) is one of the intellectuals who worked on many social projects while taking in such scientific knowledge and influenced the field. In this study, taking Kagawa’s social work and his discourse as an example, it is clarified that the interpretation frame that links heredity with poverty, crime, and illness has permeated Japanese society.