The Broken Commandment is a Japanese novel written by Tōson Shimazaki (島崎藤村)　published in 1906 (late Meiji period) under the title Hakai (破戒, Hakai) The Broken Commandment. The novel deals with the burakumin

Burakumin

are a Japanese social minority group. The burakumin are one of the main minority groups in Japan, along with the Ainu of Hokkaidō, the Ryukyuans of Okinawa and Japanese residents of Korean and Chinese descent....

, formerly known as eta. This book enjoyed great popularity and influence in Japan.

Plot

The basic plot concerns a school teacher named Ushimatsu Segawa (family name written last) who struggles with a commandment given to him by his father. He is never to reveal his burakumin background, which his father had tried so hard to conceal as well. Ushimatsu idolizes Rentarou Inoko, a burakumin rights' activist and successful writer (particularly considering the social position given to those considered burakumin). Ushimatsu wishes to reveal his background to Rentarou, as his need to hide away part of himself in order to be accepted by society in general leads to his feeling constricted by this superficial identity, and to his desiring to form a more meaningful connection with Rentarou through their common experience.

This novel also touches on the dangerous, destructive nature of gossip, and questions society's inability to accept what is not understood. It attempts to build understanding and empathy for this group of people at a time (the novel's publication's) when a great deal of prejudice still existed towards this group.

Film adapatations

Ther are 3 film adaptations:

• 破戒 (1913) http://www.jmdb.ne.jp/1913/ao002130.htm
• 破戒 (1948) http://www.jmdb.ne.jp/1948/bx001290.htm
• 破戒 (1962) http://www.jmdb.ne.jp/1962/cl001210.htm