100th Anniversary of the Great Kanto Earthquake Divides Japan: "No Records" VS "Must Face History"

Chief of the Presidential Secretariat, Governors, etc. Consistently 'Ignore'... Far-Right Anti-Korean Rally Also Announced
Progressive Media and Civic Groups Criticize, Saying "History Must Be Faced"

On the 100th anniversary of the Great Kanto Earthquake on the 1st, Japanese society was divided over the 1923 "Korean Massacre Incident." While the Japanese government consistently denies the existence of records of the massacre in official settings, progressive Japanese media and civic groups criticize this stance and call for efforts to prevent discrimination.

Marking the 100th anniversary of the earthquake, memorial services and protests demanding the Japanese government investigate the truth have been held one after another across downtown areas in Japan.

Japanese Government Says "No Records"... Far-Right Rally Also Announced

The Great Kanto Earthquake refers to the magnitude 7.9 earthquake that struck the Kanto region, including Tokyo and Yokohama, at 11:58 a.m. on September 1, 1923. The Japanese government estimates that the disaster caused approximately 105,000 deaths and missing persons. This is 5.8 times the number of casualties in the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

At the time of the earthquake, rumors such as "Koreans poisoned wells" and "set fires" spread throughout the Kanto region. As a result of these rumors, Koreans residing in Japan were indiscriminately massacred. It is known that about 6,000 people were killed, but the exact number remains unknown.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Japanese government has shown no intention of investigating or reflecting on the massacre of Koreans during the Great Kanto Earthquake. On the 30th of last month, Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno Hirokazu avoided mentioning the massacre at a press conference, stating, "There appear to be no records within the government that clarify the facts." According to Kyodo News, when asked whether the government planned to investigate the facts at the official level, he responded negatively.

Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko's actions have also come under scrutiny. Previous Tokyo governors sent condolence messages to memorial services held annually in parks across the city on September 1, the anniversary of the earthquake, to honor the victims. However, Governor Koike sent a condolence message only in her first year in office in 2016 and has effectively refused to send one since. In response, on the 9th of last month, the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan held a press conference demanding that Governor Koike send a memorial message for the Korean victims.

Aligned with this government stance, a far-right anti-Korean protest is also planned. The far-right group "Soyokaze" announced it would hold an anti-Korean demonstration in front of the memorial monument for Korean victims on the day. It was revealed that the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Construction Bureau Park and Greenery Department granted permission for the protest to take place, prompting progressive Japanese groups to encourage calls of protest to the metropolitan government, leading to conflicts.

Progressive Media Criticizes Japanese Government... Civic Groups Also Step Up

In response to the Japanese government and far-right groups denying the Korean massacre, progressive Japanese media and some civic groups have criticized the government's response and called for a thorough investigation.

The progressive newspaper Tokyo Shimbun published an article featuring an interview with Professor Notomura Masaru of the University of Tokyo, who researches Koreans residing in Japan, discussing why the media at the time did not mention the Korean massacre.

Professor Notomura analyzed, "During the Japanese colonial period, clashes between those resisting Japanese rule and Japanese people continued, while Koreans seeking jobs were entering urban centers like Tokyo. A public sentiment likely spread among Japanese people that dangerous individuals were entering their living areas."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Professor Notomura pointed out that although massacres occurred over a wide area from September 3 to 5, the massacre was only reported on October 21, a month later, indicating "there was government control over the press." He appealed, "The massacre itself is supported by testimonies and materials. In times when historical distortion continues, we must preserve facts as facts."

The Japan Federation of Newspaper Workers' Unions also issued a statement the previous day, saying, "Newspaper reports spread rumors and incited exclusion of foreigners," and pledged, "We will engrave in our hearts the mission to eliminate discrimination and protect citizens' lives from disasters."

Civic groups' efforts continue as well. The Mainichi Shimbun reported on the 21st of last month about a rally co-hosted by Japanese university students and Korean residents in Japan. About 150 university students and Korean residents marched together to protest Governor Koike.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On this 100th anniversary, a film criticizing the massacre was released, and exhibitions featuring testimonial materials were held one after another. The film "Fukudamura Incident," released on this day, depicts an incident where Japanese people speaking the Shikoku dialect were mistaken for Koreans and massacred. Alongside the Korean massacre, Japanese people speaking dialects in Okinawa and other regions were also indiscriminately killed for "speaking strangely."

Meanwhile, across Japan, Korean memorial gatherings are scheduled to be held simultaneously with far-right anti-Korean protests. According to Tokyo Shimbun, in Tokyo, a grand memorial service to console the Korean victims will be held at 10 a.m., followed by a Korean victim memorial ceremony at 11 a.m., and a rally to remember the victims and demand accountability at 6:30 p.m.

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