Refer Report
Tokyo and Ibaraki Prefecture: “We are not aware of it”
Criticism of “not having any intention of investigating”
Korean dancer Kim Soon-ja performs a requiem dance at a memorial service for Korean victims of the Great Kanto Earthquake held on the 101st anniversary at Yokoamicho Park in Sumida Ward, Tokyo, Japan on the 1st. Yonhap News
The Tokyo Shimbun reported on the 2nd that Japanese local governments are not even properly counting the number of victims of the massacre of Koreans that occurred during the Great Kanto Earthquake. It is pointed out that researchers, civic groups, etc. are continuously uncovering records related to the massacre at the time, but they are not properly reflecting them.
The newspaper reported that on the 101st anniversary of the Great Kanto Earthquake the previous day, it had asked seven prefectures in the Kanto region about the number of Korean victims of the massacre, but Tokyo, Ibaraki, and Tochigi prefectures responded, “We are not aware of it.”
A Tokyo official told the newspaper that, despite the existence of national records on the number of deaths, “this is only what the state has figured out,” and that “Tokyo is not investigating.” Ibaraki and Tochigi prefectures, which clearly have records of the massacre of Koreans, also responded that they have not figured out the number of victims.
Kanagawa Prefecture responded that the number of massacre victims was 11, despite the fact that a civic group unearthed historical materials last year and announced that 145 Koreans were massacred in the region. Gunma Prefecture only said, “We know that the incident called the Fujioka Incident occurred.” The Fujioka Incident was an incident in which vigilantes and others massacred 17 Koreans who were at a police station at the time. Chiba Prefecture and Saitama Prefecture said that the number was 96 or more and 193 or more, respectively, based on history books published by the prefectural authorities.
Journalist Yasuda Kogachi, who published a book on the Kanto Massacre in Japan in June of this year, said, “Tokyo’s response is an insult to history. They have no intention of investigating.” Yasuda said, “The (local government’s) attitude of ‘the government says it cannot confirm the facts, so (we) cannot do anything’ is putting the cart before the horse. Since it is difficult for the government to investigate each region in detail, (rather) each region has the duty to properly investigate and then report to the government.” He added, “To believe the government’s announcement of ‘underreporting’ and not try to find out the actual situation in each region is a lack of respect for history and administrative laziness.”
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has repeatedly shown an attitude of turning a blind eye to the massacre of Koreans, which has caused controversy. For eight consecutive years, Governor Koike has not sent a separate eulogy to the memorial service for Korean victims held every September 1st at Yokoamicho Park in Tokyo’s Sumida Ward.
The Great Kanto Earthquake was a major earthquake that struck the Kanto region, including Tokyo and Yokohama, on September 1, 1923. At the time, rumors spread that “Koreans were rioting, poisoning wells,” and “setting fires,” and thousands of Koreans living in Japan lost their lives at the hands of Japanese vigilantes, police, and soldiers. However, some right-wing groups in Japan have continued to make claims that do not acknowledge the massacre or oppose commemorating the Koreans.
The Japanese Kanto Earthquake Korean Victims Memorial Ceremony Executive Committee held the 101st anniversary memorial service at Yokoamicho Park the day before. The far-right group Soyokaze held a counter-protest at the same location on the same day as the memorial service last year.
Source: Korean