"Japanese Conservative Paper Unusually Acknowledges 'Kanto Earthquake Korean Massacre'"

Conservative-leaning Japan's largest daily Yomiuri Shimbun
"Recent disaster sites also rife with rumors... Lessons must be learned"

An unprecedented report has emerged in Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan's largest conservative daily newspaper, citing an official Japanese government report that acknowledges Koreans were massacred due to rumors during the Great Kanto Earthquake 100 years ago.

On the 13th, the Yomiuri Shimbun published a series article titled "Lessons from the Great Kanto Earthquake (5): Rumors and Violence Spread Simultaneously" on the front page of the morning edition.
[Photo by Yomiuri Online Edition Capture]

On the 13th, Yomiuri Shimbun published a series article titled "Lessons from the Great Kanto Earthquake (5): Rumors and Violence Spread Simultaneously" on the front page of the morning edition.

This stance contradicts the position of the Japanese government and politicians who have denied the massacre of Koreans until now. Therefore, it was considered very unusual for the conservative-leaning Yomiuri to report such content.

The article cited a report compiled in 2008 by the Central Disaster Prevention Council of the Japanese government.

The report stated, "At the time of the great earthquake, people who heard rumors such as 'Koreans started a riot' and 'poison was put into wells' formed vigilante groups across various regions, armed with Japanese swords and sickles, randomly interrogated, tied up, and assaulted Korean residents in Japan, leading to deaths." According to records from the Dongnip Sinmun (The Independent), the number of Koreans killed in this way was estimated to be 6,661.

Additionally, the report added, "Among the approximately 100,000 dead and missing from the Great Kanto Earthquake, an estimated 1% to several percent are attributed to such incidents (killings, etc.)."

Yomiuri pointed out that similar incidents are occurring at various disaster sites in Japan today while recounting this tragedy from 100 years ago.

During the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, malicious rumors such as "foreigners stole all the supplies causing evacuation centers to close" spread on the internet, fueling xenophobic sentiments. Yomiuri emphasized, "We must remember the lessons from 100 years ago."

Meanwhile, Yuriko Koike, Governor of Tokyo, has not sent a condolence message since 2017 to the memorial service for Korean victims of the Great Kanto Earthquake held annually at Yokoamicho Park in Sumida Ward, Tokyo. Governor Koike is known to share the view that the inscription on the memorial stone, which states that about 6,000 Koreans were massacred, is exaggerated.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.