Suye Mura: A Japanese Village is a pioneering study of cultural anthropology by John Fee Embree, who depicted rural Japan in the 1930s. He spent about a year in Suye village in Kumamoto Prefecture, recording the lives and values of the inhabitants, but not as a mere observer. He lived closely with the people he studied. For this reason, his work oozes empathy and respect for his subjects, as well as an analytical perspective.

While Suye Mura was influential academically in terms of presenting a framework for viewing Japanese society as ‘vertical,’ it has also been criticized for its oversimplification of the concept. Another limitation is that the research sites were regarded as ‘typical of Japan,’ and later studies of Japan have emphasized regional differences and diversity.

Despite these limitations, Suye Mura has a curious appeal. A rather rough interpretation of this may be attributed to the following. Embree's account is less ‘othering’ than contemporary Western studies of Japan. He had less Orientalism. On the contrary, his research reveals a cautiousness about making blanket statements about other cultures, and a sincere attempt to separate into the inner workings of a culture. This may be because he did not romanticize or deny the life of the villagers, but tried to carefully explore the function and background of the culture.

His simple, and frank narrative evokes a warm and humble gaze at human life, unlike contemporary research, which tends to be more theoretical and analytical. The appeal of Suye Mura lies not only in its academic value, but also in its narrative based on a deep empathy and understanding of the people living in the culture. What still attracts readers today is probably the exquisite balance between analysis and empathy.

In Suye Mura, there is no mention of Buraku. From what I have been told, there were no Buraku there. Of course, there were Burakumin living in the area around Suye Village, where Embree lived, but at that time (the 1930s) Japanese society was very sensitive about talking about the existence of Buraku and Burakumin. It may have been difficult for outside researchers to enter into such topics, and it is believed that few residents were willing to talk about them. Therefore, Embree may have prioritized maintaining relationships with his research subjects and did not dare to enter into Buraku issues. But I would not seek to make an issue of his attitude. Rather, I wonder if contemporary Western researchers on the Buraku issue, who are mired in Orientalism, could at least approach the Buraku in the same way as John Fee Embree did. That is true for non-Burakumin Japanese researchers as well.