September 2, 2026
Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira attended a memorial gathering held in Tokyo on August 31 for the victims of the massacre of resident Koreans and Chinese that erupted immediately after the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake.
Participants included bereaved families from South Korea and China as well as six members of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea dedicated to the enactment of a special truth-seeking law last December which aims to officially investigate the incident and restore the victims’ honor.
Speaking as a guest, Koike stated that the Japanese government should squarely face up to the massacre as part of its history of persecution. He also criticized Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko for maintaining a stance of not sending a condolence message to the victims.
Youn Kun-young, one of the six South Korean lawmakers, reported on the background of the special law. Calling the 1923 massacre a human rights crime, he said that uncovering the truth behind such crimes will help prevent today’s hate speech and discrimination in Japan, contributing to passing on a just society to future generations.
On the following day, Koike together with JCP Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly member Satoyoshi Yumi took part in a memorial ceremony to commemorate the Korean victims who were killed in the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and the subsequent slaughter of Korean residents. This event was held in Tokyo by the Korean Residents Union in Japan (Mindan) under the auspices of the South Korean Embassy in Japan.
On this day, JCP Senators Yamazoe Taku and Kira Yoshiko as well as JCP Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly persons Oyama Tomoko, Saito Mariko, Toya Etsuko, and Shimizu Toshiko attended a memorial ceremony for the Korean victims of the 1923 massacre which is hosted by civil groups annually in Tokyo’s Sumida Ward.
After the Great Kanto Earthquake on September 1, 1923, groundless rumors such as “Koreans put poison into wells” circulated. This led to the mass slaughter of Koreans, Chinese, and Japanese socialists by the Japanese military, police, and local vigilante groups.
Participants included bereaved families from South Korea and China as well as six members of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea dedicated to the enactment of a special truth-seeking law last December which aims to officially investigate the incident and restore the victims’ honor.
Speaking as a guest, Koike stated that the Japanese government should squarely face up to the massacre as part of its history of persecution. He also criticized Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko for maintaining a stance of not sending a condolence message to the victims.
Youn Kun-young, one of the six South Korean lawmakers, reported on the background of the special law. Calling the 1923 massacre a human rights crime, he said that uncovering the truth behind such crimes will help prevent today’s hate speech and discrimination in Japan, contributing to passing on a just society to future generations.
On the following day, Koike together with JCP Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly member Satoyoshi Yumi took part in a memorial ceremony to commemorate the Korean victims who were killed in the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and the subsequent slaughter of Korean residents. This event was held in Tokyo by the Korean Residents Union in Japan (Mindan) under the auspices of the South Korean Embassy in Japan.
On this day, JCP Senators Yamazoe Taku and Kira Yoshiko as well as JCP Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly persons Oyama Tomoko, Saito Mariko, Toya Etsuko, and Shimizu Toshiko attended a memorial ceremony for the Korean victims of the 1923 massacre which is hosted by civil groups annually in Tokyo’s Sumida Ward.
After the Great Kanto Earthquake on September 1, 1923, groundless rumors such as “Koreans put poison into wells” circulated. This led to the mass slaughter of Koreans, Chinese, and Japanese socialists by the Japanese military, police, and local vigilante groups.
