Buraku Liberation League
The Buraku Liberation League (部落解放同盟 Buraku Kaihō Dōmei) is one of the burakumin's rights groups in Japan. Buraku are members of diverse social groups, descendants of outcast communities of the Japanese feudal era.
History
Pre-WW2 period
The origin of the Buraku Liberation League is the National Levelers Association (全国水平社 Zenkoku Suiheisha), founded in 1922. However, in 1942, some of the leading activists, including Asada Zennosuke (朝田善之助), were recruited into the military. The National Levelers Association disbanded in the same year.
Post-WW2 period
In 1946, the ex-members of the National Levelers Association formed the Buraku Liberation National Committee (部落解放全国委員会 Buraku Kaihō Zenkoku Iinkai). In 1955, it was renamed the Buraku Liberation League (BLL).
In 1966, one of the leaders, Jiichirō Matsumoto (松本治一郎 Matsumoto Jiichirō), died. Around the same time, the BLL purged the members who were against the leaders' decision that the subsidy to the burakumin should be limited to the BLL members only (There are many burakumin who do not join the BLL). Asada played a major role in this purge. Thus, the ex-members of the BLL formed the Buraku Liberation League Normalization National Liaison Conference (部落解放同盟正常化全国連絡会議 Seijōkaren Buraku Kaihō Dōmei Seijōka Zenkoku Renraku Kaigi) in 1970. This was the predecessor of the All Japan Federation of Buraku Liberation Movement (全国部落解放運動連合会 Zenkairen Zenkoku Buraku Kaihō Undō Rengōkai).