The Japanese government avoids commenting on the massacre of Koreans, and now is the time to face history

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the Great Kanto Earthquake, which caused the worst casualties of any natural disaster in Japan, with approximately 105,000 people dead or missing. During the chaos caused by the earthquake, ``Koreans poisoned wells.''
Many Koreans were massacred as false rumors spread, such as, However, the Japanese government avoided commenting on the massacre at the time, and Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a press conference on the 30th of last month,
There are no records to be found." The spectacle of rumors and false rumors throwing disaster areas into chaos continues to this day.
Matsuno said, "When a disaster strikes, it is extremely important for the government to strive to ensure the safety and security of all victims regardless of nationality." vinegar
"Unjust discriminatory words and actions, violence, and crimes aimed at discriminatory behavior cannot be tolerated in any society." The Great Kanto Earthquake occurred at 11:58 a.m. on September 1, 1923. The metropolitan area and other areas are affected by the current earthquake.
The area was struck by violent shaking equivalent to a magnitude 7 or above 6 degrees. Nearly 110,000 homes were completely destroyed, mainly in Tokyo and Kanagawa. Additionally, since the time of occurrence coincided with noon, multiple fires may have occurred at the same time.
This caused further damage. More than 212,000 buildings were destroyed in the fire, including 447,000 homes. The number of dead and missing exceeds 105,000, more than any other day since the Meiji era.
It was the biggest disaster in the book. In addition to the damage caused by the earthquake itself, ``disaster rumors'' also became a problem. In the chaos caused by the earthquake, there were rumors such as ``Korean people rioting'' and ``poisoning the wells.''
False rumors flew about, and incidents occurred in which the military, police, and vigilante groups organized by civilians murdered Koreans and Chinese living in Japan. The exact victims of this incident called "Korean Massacre"
The number is unknown, but a report by the Cabinet Office's Central Disaster Prevention Council estimates it to be "1 to several percent" of the approximately 105,000 people who died in the disaster. In addition, there are many people who question the facts surrounding this massacre.
Discourses that define the past are also spreading, and there are concerns about the fading and distortion of history. Historian Kang Deok-sang, who passed away in June 2021 at the age of 89, has long been involved in the mistreatment of Koreans at the time of the earthquake.
I continued my research on murder. Concerning the massacre of Koreans, Mr. Kang said, ``It is wrong to say that the Japanese people massacred Koreans on the back of rumors; the military and police took the lead in carrying out the massacre of Koreans, and
"They spread false rumors about riots, excited the people, and incited the massacre." It concluded that it was a ``major ethnic crime and genocide in which the state power was the main culprit and the people were the accomplices.'' In addition, in September 2020, Mr. Kang
When the book ``The Great Kanto Earthquake'' was republished, he was interviewed by Chunichi Shimbun and said, ``I want people to acknowledge the fact that there was a time when it was OK to kill Koreans, and to learn from this so that we don't repeat it.''
Japan's Newspaper Workers' Federation released a statement on the 31st of last month, ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Great Kanto Earthquake. Referring to the massacre of Koreans, he said, ``Let's not forget the fact that newspaper reports spread false rumors and fueled xenophobia.''
No. "Now is the time to renew our resolve to take to heart the mission of reporting to eliminate discrimination and protect the lives of citizens." On the same day, the Tokyo Bar Association also announced that the national government and the Tokyo metropolitan government will take measures to eradicate racial discrimination.
The chairman's statement calling for implementation has been published. ``Even after 100 years, there is still a deep sense of discrimination in Japanese society, and there is no end to hate speech and hate crimes against Koreans living in Japan.'' "
We should enact legislation to abolish racial discrimination." In recent years, disaster hoaxes have also spread on SNS, and when an earthquake with a maximum seismic intensity of 6 upper occurred on February 13, 2021 with an epicenter off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture,
, There was a post on Twitter (currently X), etc., saying, ``A Korean or a black person put poison in the well.'' Even after the Kumamoto earthquake that occurred in April 2016, there was a post on the Internet that said, "Koreans in Kumamoto went to wells
I threw poison in it." Malicious posts were confirmed. The lessons learned from the massacre of Koreans that occurred in the confusion of the Great Kanto Earthquake have not been utilized, and the Japanese government does not show any willingness to face historical facts.
. The South Korean government is appealing to the Japanese government for the necessity of an investigation to find out the truth, but at a press conference on the 30th of last month, Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno asked reporters whether the government would consider investigating the facts.
When questioned, he expressed a negative perception. In response, Im Soo-seok, a spokesperson for the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs (equivalent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), said at a regular press conference on the 31st, "The South Korean government has taken various opportunities to deal with Japan in the past.
I have urged you to look squarely at it," and indicated that the South Korean government will continue to consider necessary measures. The Hankyoreh, a South Korean newspaper, published an editorial on the 30th, stating that the governments of both countries jointly massacred Koreans.
It would be a meaningful step toward reconciliation between South Korea and Japan if we investigate this.”