E/CN.4/2002/24 page 29 (d) Housing: Nuclear power plants are often built in the vicinity of Buraku communities, most of which are not aware of the risks posed by such facilities. Although they may have the same geographical and topographical characteristics as properties owned by non-Buraku, Buraku-owned properties are often underevaluated in the real estate market because of prejudice against Buraku people. Furthermore, Burakumin wishing to relocate are regularly not allowed by non-Baruku citizens to move to non-Buraku communities; (e) Public policies: Although Government has enacted a law on special measures for Buraku communities, most of these communities continue to experience discrimination; (f) Social assimilation: Non-Buraku parents often do not permit their sons/daughters to marry Burakumin. Although some Japanese cities have issued regulations prohibiting discriminatory background investigations, background investigation agencies still provide such services to non-Buraku families to trace the origin of people presumed to be Buraku. 2. Response by the Government of Japan 63. The Government of Japan sent to the Special Rapporteur an explanatory note on what it called “the Dowa issue” and on the measures taken to tackle it. The Government stressed that the “Dowa issue is not a matter of racism, racial discrimination or xenophobia and related intolerance because Buraku people are neither a foreign race nor a foreign ethnicity. The Government of Japan regrets that the Dowa issue has been misrepresented and strongly hopes that it is accurately and correctly understood”. The Special Rapporteur therefore wishes to quote extensively the note by the Government: “1. The Dowa issue: Regrettably, there has long been social discrimination against Dowa people in Japan. Who are the Dowa people? It is very difficult to make a precise definition of Dowa people. Usually they are recognized as the people who have been living in specific Dowa areas. What are their origins? Their historical origin is not fully elucidated today. They are said to have belonged to a class that had been formed in the process of the historical development of Japanese society and to have been placed in an inferior position economically, socially and culturally. “It is true that they are neither a foreign race nor ethnically [different]. Without doubt they are Japanese people. Needless to say we cannot tell them apart [by their] skin colour, language and features. Their occupations used to be the ones not favoured by many people. But today they are engaged in a wide range of work such as construction, manufacturing and various kinds of services. “The original Japanese meaning of ‘Dowa’ is a harmony and unity of people. According to a Dowa survey in 1993, there are 4,608 Dowa areas in one third of the total cities, towns and villages in Japan. The number of Dowa households is about 300,000 out of 47 million households in Japan with a population of about 900,000 out of 127 million people in Japan.