Mr. Shimada (right) lays flowers at a memorial tower for Korean victims, while Mr. Suzuki watches over them at the Ohara Cemetery in Kumagaya City.
100 years in one day from the Great Kanto Earthquake of September 1, 1923 (Taisho 12). At least 193 people in Saitama Prefecture were killed in the massacre of Koreans that spread as a result of rumors and rumors. In the city of Kumagaya, where 57 people are said to have died, a member of a local civic group stressed the importance of looking back on history, saying, “We must not let it fade away.” (Osamu Kitahama)
“This tower was built by Mr. Ryosaku Arai, who was the deputy mayor of Kumagaya Town (at that time) at the time of the earthquake, after he became mayor.” Late August when the maximum temperature exceeds 35 degrees. Michio Shimada (66), a former employee of the city, and Masashi Suzuki (53), a web writer, explain in front of the memorial tower for the Korean victims in Ohara Cemetery in the city under strong sunlight. The two are the representative and vice-representative of the Citizens’ Association for Peace in East Asia. He researches the massacre in Kumagaya and continues to pass down the story.
According to Mr. Shimada, the tower was built in 1938 when Mr. Arai was mayor. The bodies of the Koreans who were attacked were buried separately at several temples in the city, and a pagoda was erected this year as they were buried together. Mr. Arai is said to have been one of the witnesses to the tragedy, helping clean up the bodies of the victims himself.
According to the report “Hidden History: The Great Kanto Earthquake and the Massacre of Koreans in Saitama” compiled in 1973 by Governor Kazu Hata and others in 1973 (Showa 48) and published the following year, After the earthquake, rumors spread that Koreans were rioting, and the martial law issued in Tokyo spread to Saitama. The police gathered many Koreans who had escaped from Tokyo to the prefecture under the pretext of “protection” and tried to transfer them outside the prefecture. Around this time, a “vigilante group” was formed by the people who believed the rumors, and attacks began. About 200 Koreans arrived in Kumagaya on September 4, but it is recorded that 4 to 5 people were stoned to death in the vicinity of what is now Kuge, the city near the Arakawa River, and 16 people lost their lives in the city center. be done. The report puts the number of victims in the current city limits at 57, the “lowest confirmed number”.
One of the reasons for the large number of victims is Shimada’s point of view of the 2nd day, the day after the quake, in a letter sent to towns and villages by the prefectural director of the home affairs department, titled “The case of arson by unscrupulous Koreans.” . This led to the formation of a vigilante group in towns and villages, asking them to cooperate with the people and be vigilant against Koreans.
“At a time when there was no radio, rumors spread, martial law was declared, and vigilante groups were formed one after another. At the time, Japan was ruling the Korean Peninsula, and there was a sense of discrimination,” says Shimada. . On the other hand, the responsibility of the national government, prefectural governments, and the police at the time remains ambiguous.
A century after the earthquake, what is the reason why the massacre of Koreans should be remembered again and again? Shimada believes that Japan’s declining population cannot survive without diversification. He insists, “Instead of excluding things that are different, we need tolerance to recognize diversity. For that reason, we must not forget what happened with the disaster.”
The group will gather at the memorial tower of the Ohara cemetery from around 1:00 pm on the 1st for a memorial service. General participation is also possible.
2023-08-31 23:17:33
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