Kanto Earthquake Korean Massacre — Tragedy Born from Rumors

On September 1, 1923, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck the Kanto region (Tokyo-Yokohama area). After this disaster that killed over 100,000, something more horrific than the earthquake itself occurred.

Spread of Rumors

Immediately after the earthquake, rumors spread rapidly: "Koreans are poisoning wells," "Koreans are committing arson," "Koreans are rioting." Where these rumors originated is still debated, but it's confirmed that police and administrative agencies transmitted the rumors as official notifications.

The Home Ministry's telegram to regional offices stated: "Koreans are committing arson everywhere and engaging in unlawful behavior — enforce strict control." The state essentially endorsed and amplified the rumors.

The Massacre

Vigilante groups (自警団) organized, blocking roads and making passersby pronounce "15 yen 50 sen (jūgo-en gojissen)" — killing those whose Japanese pronunciation sounded unnatural as suspected Koreans. Japanese, Chinese, and Ryukyuan (Okinawan) people were also mistakenly killed.

The military participated too. In the Kameido Incident, 10 socialist activists and Korean workers were killed by the military.

Death Toll — The Numbers Debate

The victim count remains the biggest point of contention.

• Korean/Zainichi researchers: Estimated 6,000-6,600 killed

• Japanese government survey (1923): 233 deaths (only vigilante killings counted, excluding military/police)

• Yoshino Sakuzo survey (1923): Over 2,613

• Japanese Cabinet Office report (2009): Acknowledges massacres occurred but doesn't specify numbers

Japanese Government Position

Japan doesn't deny massacres occurred. At the 2023 centenary, Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno refused to send a memorial message, stating "no records within the government to confirm the facts." Tokyo Governor Koike has also stopped sending memorial messages since 2017.

Japanese Public Opinion — Three Currents

Beyond the government's official position, Japanese citizens' views split into three groups.

① "It happened, we must reflect" (progressives/civic groups): Annual memorial ceremonies are held on September 1 at Yokoamicho Park in Tokyo, led by Japanese civic groups. Historian Kato Naoki's book "September, On the Streets of Tokyo" traced specific massacre sites.

② "It happened but the scale is exaggerated" (moderate/some conservatives): Doesn't deny massacres but argues the Korean claim of 6,000 is overestimated. Given the ~9,000-20,000 Koreans in Kanto at the time, they argue 6,000 killed is demographically unrealistic. Some add that actual looting/crimes occurred amid chaos, and self-defense responses escalated into excessive violence.

③ "Korean massacre is fabricated" (far-right/revisionism): Some far-right groups deny the massacre entirely, claiming "Koreans actually committed arson/looting and it was self-defense" or "earthquake deaths were counted as massacre victims." In 2023, counter-rallies claiming "there was no massacre" were held near the memorial ceremony.

This far-right view is not supported by mainstream Japanese academia. Primary sources — Yoshino Sakuzo's investigation, Home Ministry telegrams, vigilante trial records — prove the massacres occurred. However, such claims spread through social media and YouTube.

General public: Many Japanese people don't even know about the Kanto massacre. School textbooks cover it briefly or omit it entirely, creating significant generational gaps in awareness.

Korean Perspective

In Korea, the Kanto massacre symbolizes structural violence against Koreans under colonial rule. State institutions allowed and amplified rumors while tolerating vigilante massacres and directly participating through the military — making this a matter of state responsibility, not mere civilian crime.