Presentation Information
[O12-P09]The records of the 1923 Kanto Earthquake remaining in Kawaguchi and Toda Cities of Saitama Prefecture
*Yuzuki Adachi1, Toshiaki Kinjo1 (1. Sakae Higashi Senior High School)
Keywords:
1923 Kanto Earthquake,rumors,Korean massacre,social networking service
Earthquakes, a natural disaster, have a significant impact on our lives and society. Therefore, to clarify the relationship between earthquakes and society, the authors investigated records of the Great Kanto Earthquake of September 1, 1923, which occurred in the northwestern part of Sagami Bay, remaining in the Kawaguchi and Toda city areas of Saitama Prefecture. Based on this, this study aims to learn about historical earthquakes in our local area, consider lessons learned from the past that connect to the future, and find ways to apply them to the present.
1. As a first step in investigating the relationship between the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and society, we surveyed the damage in the Kawaguchi and Toda city areas. In Kawaguchi city, we surveyed the former Kawaguchi town, where secondary industries such as foundry work were thriving, and the former Angyo village, where primary industries such as agriculture and forestry were thriving. In both areas, the rate of complete destruction was approximately 20% (Table.1). In Toda city, we surveyed the former Bijomoto village, former Sasame village, and former Toda village. Looking at the entire present-day Toda city, the rate of house collapse or damage was approximately 68p% (Table.2). The difference in ground elevation is cited as a reason for the extensive damage in the present-day Toda city area. From the above, it can be seen that even in Saitama Prefecture, which is far from the epicenter, the damage from the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake was significant, and many houses and factories collapsed.
2. The fires caused by the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake spread rapidly through Tokyo, Yokohama, and other areas. Along with this, rumors of "Koreans committing arson and riots" arose, leading to massacres of Koreans in various locations. This incident may have stemmed from the social context of the time. In 1910, Korea was annexed by Japan, becoming a colony. Nine years later, in 1919, the March 1st Independence Movement occurred, in which the Korean people sought independence from Japan. Furthermore, it is clear that liberation struggles such as the Gando Incident (1920) occurred in the period leading up to the earthquake. Therefore, it is possible that insults and suspicion lingered towards Koreans wandering in a foreign land as colonial subjects, and it is understandable that they readily accepted the rumors accompanying the earthquake and fires.
3. At the time, many rumors were circulating in the Kawaguchi and Toda areas. In Kawaguchi City, sightings of Koreans were reported in areas such as Nishiarai-juku, Hatogaya, and Junigatsuda, while in Toda City, sightings of Koreans were reported in areas around Toda Bridge. Factors contributing to the rumors in the Kawaguchi and Toda areas include the fact that the bridges connecting Kawaguchi City to Tokyo, or Toda City to Tokyo, were important bridges used by many people even at the time of the earthquake. In addition, relief stations were set up in Kawaguchi City and Toda City for those injured in the disaster. Immediately after the earthquake, many evacuees from Tokyo crossed the bridges to enter and leave Saitama Prefecture in search of these relief stations. Therefore, it is thought that rumors spread among evacuees, then spread to the local population, increasing anxiety and fear, which led to incidents such as attacks on Koreans.
Originally, a sense of fear stemming from discriminatory attitudes towards Koreans existed in the Kawaguchi and Toda areas. This fear was compounded by facts of violence and persecution, along with rumors, and further exacerbated by the damage caused by the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. This amplified people's fears, which likely led to social problems such as the massacre of Koreans. To prevent the recurrence of the same incidents and problems, it is essential to have a scientific understanding of history and a firm awareness of human rights. Furthermore, it is important to avoid blindly accepting information and to maintain a spirit of objectively examining the facts without blindly following the crowd. This is also related to the problems of modern social media. Social media is a mix of accurate and inaccurate information. If you persist with your own subjective opinions while holding onto inaccurate information, you risk being scammed, having your posts used for bullying, or experiencing online backlash. In a world where it is essential to consider things from various perspectives, I believe it is important to cultivate information literacy, learn from the past, and use that knowledge for good. In order to prevent a recurrence of tragic incidents, I urge you to re-examine your perception of social media while preparing for earthquakes.
1. As a first step in investigating the relationship between the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and society, we surveyed the damage in the Kawaguchi and Toda city areas. In Kawaguchi city, we surveyed the former Kawaguchi town, where secondary industries such as foundry work were thriving, and the former Angyo village, where primary industries such as agriculture and forestry were thriving. In both areas, the rate of complete destruction was approximately 20% (Table.1). In Toda city, we surveyed the former Bijomoto village, former Sasame village, and former Toda village. Looking at the entire present-day Toda city, the rate of house collapse or damage was approximately 68p% (Table.2). The difference in ground elevation is cited as a reason for the extensive damage in the present-day Toda city area. From the above, it can be seen that even in Saitama Prefecture, which is far from the epicenter, the damage from the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake was significant, and many houses and factories collapsed.
2. The fires caused by the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake spread rapidly through Tokyo, Yokohama, and other areas. Along with this, rumors of "Koreans committing arson and riots" arose, leading to massacres of Koreans in various locations. This incident may have stemmed from the social context of the time. In 1910, Korea was annexed by Japan, becoming a colony. Nine years later, in 1919, the March 1st Independence Movement occurred, in which the Korean people sought independence from Japan. Furthermore, it is clear that liberation struggles such as the Gando Incident (1920) occurred in the period leading up to the earthquake. Therefore, it is possible that insults and suspicion lingered towards Koreans wandering in a foreign land as colonial subjects, and it is understandable that they readily accepted the rumors accompanying the earthquake and fires.
3. At the time, many rumors were circulating in the Kawaguchi and Toda areas. In Kawaguchi City, sightings of Koreans were reported in areas such as Nishiarai-juku, Hatogaya, and Junigatsuda, while in Toda City, sightings of Koreans were reported in areas around Toda Bridge. Factors contributing to the rumors in the Kawaguchi and Toda areas include the fact that the bridges connecting Kawaguchi City to Tokyo, or Toda City to Tokyo, were important bridges used by many people even at the time of the earthquake. In addition, relief stations were set up in Kawaguchi City and Toda City for those injured in the disaster. Immediately after the earthquake, many evacuees from Tokyo crossed the bridges to enter and leave Saitama Prefecture in search of these relief stations. Therefore, it is thought that rumors spread among evacuees, then spread to the local population, increasing anxiety and fear, which led to incidents such as attacks on Koreans.
Originally, a sense of fear stemming from discriminatory attitudes towards Koreans existed in the Kawaguchi and Toda areas. This fear was compounded by facts of violence and persecution, along with rumors, and further exacerbated by the damage caused by the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. This amplified people's fears, which likely led to social problems such as the massacre of Koreans. To prevent the recurrence of the same incidents and problems, it is essential to have a scientific understanding of history and a firm awareness of human rights. Furthermore, it is important to avoid blindly accepting information and to maintain a spirit of objectively examining the facts without blindly following the crowd. This is also related to the problems of modern social media. Social media is a mix of accurate and inaccurate information. If you persist with your own subjective opinions while holding onto inaccurate information, you risk being scammed, having your posts used for bullying, or experiencing online backlash. In a world where it is essential to consider things from various perspectives, I believe it is important to cultivate information literacy, learn from the past, and use that knowledge for good. In order to prevent a recurrence of tragic incidents, I urge you to re-examine your perception of social media while preparing for earthquakes.