Earthquake and Death to Ethnic Koreans and Leftists

On September 1, 1923, an earthquake – 7.9 on the Richter scale – struck Tokyo and surrounding areas, followed by rampaging flames that destroyed 694,000 homes. Around 106,000 persons died or disappeared, and 502,000 were injured. There were the usual acts of bravery, rescue and people doing what they could to help while during the first 48 hours most Japanese in the disaster area were stunned. Tokyo's parks were filled with burned, broken and bleeding bodies, and little was being done for these people as Tokyo lacked medical rescue teams.

Roaming the city were hordes of people made homeless by the quake and the fires. They were without food, and they were without water as many wells had been destroyed. No leadership appeared to give people encouragement, direction or to allay fears. Newspapers at first were unable to print. And Tokyo and surrounding areas were cut off from the rest of the world.

Among those suffering in Tokyo were thousands of Koreans. Koreans had come to Japan in search of jobs, and social contacts between Koreans and Japanese had been limited. Many Japanese despised the Koreans, disliking the smell of their food and believing them to be inclined toward crime and other unwholesome habits. They thought of Koreans as belonging to an inferior race, and intermarriage between Koreans and Japanese was unthinkable.

Hordes of homeless Koreans were among those wandering the city without food or water. A rumor spread that Koreans were setting fires, looting and raping. The police accepted these rumors, and they spread a rumor of their own: that the Koreans were grouping to attack and take over the city. Newspapers that began publishing within a couple of days of the quake reported the rumors as fact. Stories spread too that the socialists were taking advantage of the chaos by starting riots. Groups of vigilantes formed, and they were joined by soldiers. They began wandering the streets looking for Korean young men, and upon finding them they held mock trials. They forced their captives to their knees and beheaded them. They began seizing Koreans of all ages – males and females. They gave children they suspected of being Koreans a simple test of words that only native-born Japanese could pronounce correctly, and those who failed were clubbed to death. No effort was made by the police to stop the atrocities. The number of Koreans killed in these actions was later estimated to be between 231 and 2,613. The Chinese Embassy in Tokyo estimated that between 160 and 170 Chinese were also killed.