Tokyo Metropolitan Government to Allow Kanto Earthquake Korean Massacre Memorial Ceremony Without Pledge

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyeon-jin] The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has decided to allow the memorial ceremony for Korean victims massacred during the Great Kanto Earthquake to be held without requiring a pledge, Asahi Shimbun reported on the 3rd. This change in stance came after last year's memorial ceremony was disrupted by a Japanese far-right group, leading to clashes between the two sides, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government suddenly demanded a pledge at the end of last year.

Civil society groups in Japan, including the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, have held the Korean Massacre Memorial Ceremony every year on September 1st at Yokoamicho Park in Tokyo. Until now, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government had permitted the ceremony to be held annually at Yokoamicho Park, but suddenly in December last year, it required the organizers to submit a pledge containing conditions such as "not engaging in acts that interfere with park management." The organizers opposed this, stating that "the pledge would restrict the operation of the gathering," and submitted a protest statement to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

Eventually, at the end of last month, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government changed its policy, verbally confirming that the organizers would observe precautions and conduct the event peacefully, and accepted the organizers' application to use the park without a pledge. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government stated, "If necessary in the future, we will request the submission of a pledge." The organizers announced that the withdrawal of the pledge requirement by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government was "the result of many people's protests."

Meanwhile, Kyodo News reported that the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, upon receiving a resident's report of "hate speech" during the disruption of last year's memorial ceremony, reviewed the case and recognized remarks disparaging Koreans as hate speech.