Hinin

Hi-nin (kanji: 非人, hiragana: ひにん; lit. 'non-human') was an outcast group (burakumin) in ancient Japan, more specifically the Edo period of Japanese history (1603–1868). Hinin and Eta (穢多, えた) consisted of the lowest social classes in ancient Japan, but were not considered part of the social hierarchy. Hinin were forced to do "polluting" activities such as begging, street performing, and burying the bodies of people who had been executed. Eta directly translates to "polluted ones" and was closely intertwined with the Hinin social class. Both phrases were used for those deemed to be separate from society with a few minor distinctions between them. The occupations of those who were called Eta were mostly skinning animals and tanning. These jobs were associated with sinning due to the heavy practice of Buddhism and Shinto in Edo Japan, thus those who did these jobs were considered to be filled with sin and therefore "polluted."