Japan's Kanto Massacre Anniversary: A Reminder of Ongoing Earthquake Threat
Japan commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Great Kanto Earthquake, which claimed 105,000 lives. However, the subsequent massacre of thousands of ethnic Koreans by mobs armed with swords and iron bars during the chaos of the earthquake remains largely unknown. Historians reveal that soldiers from the imperial military actively participated in the killings, a fact that Japan has yet to fully acknowledge. Xenophobia towards Korean immigrants and the government's desire to control the Japanese crowd were factors contributing to the massacre. Despite annual commemorations by citizen groups, the Japanese government has failed to properly investigate the events or admit its active role, erasing the memory of the massacre and instilling doubt about its authenticity.