On August 31, a significant event took place in San Francisco’s Japantown, where community leaders convened to both commemorate and protest the tragic massacre of 6,000 innocent Koreans and Chinese by the Japanese government following the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. Attendees included retired judges, members of the Comfort Women Justice Coalition, and community activists like former judge Deng Mengshi and Guo Lilian, alongside various Japanese and Korean residents. California State Treasurer Fiona Ma also showed her support at the event.
Deng Mengshi took to the microphone, emphasizing Japan’s ongoing denial of its historical atrocities, which she believes increases the risk of repeating past mistakes. She pointed out that Japan has made military advances, citing its recent decision to purchase 400 American Tomahawk cruise missiles. “Today’s Asia experiences occasional tensions, yet it is the most peaceful period since World War II,” Deng explained. “Japan’s military ambitions are misleading China into thinking it must prepare for conflict, which is not necessary. We sincerely hope that Japan does not provoke a third world war.”
Guo Lilian stressed that Japan has never fully acknowledged the Kanto Earthquake massacre, indicating a failure to recognize the acts of genocide committed during that time. “History must be addressed responsibly, whether it’s good or bad,” she remarked. “If Japan continues to deny its actions, peace in East Asia will be unattainable.” She mentioned that they had consistently invited the Japanese consulate in San Francisco to participate in memorial events, yet received no response.
Japanese resident Grace Shimizu recounted her experience attending last year’s centennial commemoration of the Kanto massacre in Tokyo. It was her first real confrontation with the horrific events, which were initially triggered by a natural disaster but escalated due to damaging rumors about Korean and Chinese forced laborers. Shimizu noted that this violence stemmed from the need to find scapegoats. “Some individuals and officials not only knew about the atrocities but also supported them. Some had even participated in the war against China. These are the roots of the violence aimed at seizing land and exploiting laborers.”
Judith Mirkinson, chair of the Comfort Women Justice Coalition, elaborated on how the Japanese government conspiring with right-wing factions led to the massacres post-earthquake. She pointed out that despite extensive evidence, the Japanese government continues to deny the facts. “Denying history and evading accountability ensures that past misdeeds are repeated,” she cautioned.
A joint statement released at the event classified the Kanto Massacre as a violent crime against over 6,000 Koreans and around 800 Chinese individuals. Historians view this massacre as a genocidal act and an international crime for which the state must bear responsibility. The statement condemned Japan’s denial of its historical actions as a cowardly stance that signals a troubling return to imperialistic values. It concluded that those immigrants were exploited as laborers in factories, infrastructure projects, and mining, thus facilitating Japan’s imperialist ambitions during its wartime campaigns.
