The Essential traveler's Guide To Japan

Outcasts

The outcasts, also called eta, were forced to live outside the village and towns. Their occupations were primarily slaughtering animals, disposing of and tanning animal carcasses, carrying out executions, and removing corpses. Although the work they carried out were necessary, touching the dead was in violation of Buddhist doctrines, so the eta were shunned.

Within their own communities, the eta had managers who were either officially or internally appointed. These managers organized and policed them according to their own laws. The eta were not allowed to have any occupations other than those assigned to their class.