Tokyo University Professor: "Japanese Politicians Must Acknowledge the Kanto Earthquake Massacre of Koreans"

Criticism of Tokyo Governor for Rejecting Kanto Earthquake Memorial Statement

A professor at the University of Tokyo who studies the history of Zainichi Koreans criticized Japanese politicians who do not commemorate the Korean victims of the Great Kanto Earthquake.

Masaru Tonomura, a professor at the University of Tokyo, pointed out in an interview with the Tokyo Shimbun on the 18th, "It is necessary for influential (Japanese) leaders, the government, and heads of local governments to acknowledge the fact that such a horrific incident occurred during the Great Kanto Earthquake and to express their condolences." Professor Tonomura advised, "By explaining the background in which even innocent commoners became perpetrators, we can confront the perpetrators, but local governments and the government are not doing this. To break free from an excessive awareness of guilt, the facts must be explained as they are."

Regarding the attitude of Yuriko Koike, Governor of Tokyo, who stated she would not send a separate condolence message for the Korean victims despite the 100th anniversary of the Great Kanto Earthquake this year, he said, "I was a little disappointed."

Previously, Governor Koike sent a condolence message to the memorial ceremony for Korean victims in her first year in office in 2016. However, she did not send one from 2017 onwards. The Executive Committee for the Memorial Ceremony for Korean Victims of the Great Kanto Earthquake (hereafter the Executive Committee) requested a condolence message from Governor Koike on the 31st of last month to mark the 100th anniversary of the Great Kanto Earthquake, but Tokyo Metropolitan Government conveyed its refusal by fax on the 15th, two weeks later.

Governor Koike also stated regarding the massacre of Koreans, "It is up to historians to clarify what is a clear fact." In response, Professor Tonomura pointed out, "There are testimonies and materials about the massacre, it is written in history textbooks, and it is described in the 'Tokyo 100-Year History' published by Tokyo and in the government’s disaster prevention meeting reports. Until the 1980s, many people said they saw Koreans being massacred or heard stories from their families, so it is not a situation where the massacre can be denied."

He noted that while some may want to deny the fact that ordinary Japanese living in villages killed people, there is no evidence to view the massacre at that time as self-defense against Koreans who had become rioters. Professor Tonomura said, "We should consider the existence of Zainichi Koreans as natural and build the next society while being conscious of them. If the Korean massacre is mentioned in that process, it would be good to say that Japan’s militaristic education at the time was abnormal and to hold memorial ceremonies to ensure such massacres never happen again."

Meanwhile, the Great Kanto Earthquake occurred on September 1, 1923, in the Kanto region, the metropolitan area of Japan. The earthquake caused the deaths of about 100,000 people and left about 2 million homeless.

In Japanese society, rumors such as "Koreans poisoned wells" and "Koreans started fires" spread, leading to about 6,000 Koreans being killed by vigilante groups and others.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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