Japan to hold first memorial for 'all workers' at Sado gold mines but blurs WWII atrocity

I honestly don't know why it's so hard to admit the truth.

How many Koreans died? How many Japanese died during the same period?

All workers who died at the Sado mines will be honored. That includes hundreds of Korean laborers who worked there during Japan’s 1910-1945 colonization of the Korean Peninsula.

… and were caught by police if they escaped, historians say. But the Japanese government has refused to admit they were “forced labor.”

Certainly sounds like slavery.

Japan also acknowledged that Koreans were made to do more dangerous tasks in the mine shaft, which caused some to die. Those who survived also developed lung diseases and other health problems. Many of them were given meager food rations and nearly no days off and were caught by police if they escaped, historians say. But the Japanese government has refused to admit they were “forced labor.”

Just like they refuse to admit the harassment, wage theft and crimes against the 'technical trainees'.

Plus ça change.

Japan is holding a memorial ceremony on Sunday near the Sado Island Gold Mines, which were listed this summer as a UNESCO World Heritage site after the country settled years of historical disputes with South Korea and reluctantly acknowledged the mines' dark history.

Sado is a beautiful island.

Sad that it has a history of enriching oligarchical families who to this day still inhabit the ruling LDP.

I honestly don't know why it's so hard to admit the truth.

The Japanese are brought up to believe they are the kindest, most considerate and most civilized people on earth, via media and education who messages are never questioned or examined. So when the likes of UNESCO come along to point to certain of their past deeds, it does not compute in the minds of the people.

The Japanese government says Sunday’s ceremony will pay tribute to “all workers” who died at the mines, but without spelling out who they are

Japan promise anything before being listed in UN Heritage Site, only to change in deaf to Korea after being granted by UN.

South Korea eventually supported the listing after consultations with Japan and Tokyo’s pledge to improve the historical background in the exhibit and to hold a memorial that also includes Koreans.

The more the truth is ignored , the more it becomes apparent…

“The Japanese are brought up to believe they are the kindest, most considerate and most civilized people on earth”

Japanese are not unique in believing that. Most people in the world, especially those living in the developed countries, are brought up that way. That’s what they taught at home and at school.

Your history is what it is! Stop trying to change or hide it.

Everyone can see it, but Japan thinks it’s hidden.

@Meiyouwenti

“The Japanese are brought up to believe they are the kindest, most considerate and most civilized people on earth”

Japanese are not unique in believing that. Most people in the world, especially those living in the developed countries, are brought up that way. That’s what they taught at home and at school.

Which western countries really tried to erase their factual past, government in western country won't bother to do that. Even if they try do that people will react. While in Japan, there are more and more attempt to change history to change what fit to Japan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_history_textbook_controversies

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14982616

.

Nanjing masacre is historical fact,

https://www.history.com/topics/asian-history/nanjing-massacre

Japan tried to have their own.

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14440035

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanjing_Massacre_denial

@BigP

Your history is what it is! Stop trying to change or hide it.

Everyone can see it, but Japan thinks it’s hidden.

Exactly and would think people around the world won't know about this.

“The Japanese are brought up to believe they are the kindest, most considerate and most civilized people on earth”

everyone knows about the bad things, but talking about unpleasant things is hard for every nation.

I honestly don't know why it's so hard to admit the truth.

Maybe because it isn't the truth.

““The controversy surrounding the Sado mines exhibit underscores a deeper problem” of Japan’s failure to face up to its wartime responsibility and its growing “denialism” of its wartime atrocities, Takeuchi said.

Slaves and Sex Slaves are referred to in Japan as “workers laboring under severe conditions” and “therapists releasing tension.”

An atomic bomb is also a “conflict curtailment contraption.” The U.S. employed two “peacemakers” to end the Pacific War.

The atrocities committed by the Imperial Japanese are just as horrible as those committed by the Nazis. Yet Germany admitted its past and moved on. Certain factions in Japan refuse to admit this and they are holding this country back. Perhaps these are the same people who are holding on to the anachronistic imperial dating system and the totally unworkable chome-banchi, zone within a zone address system.

There is much to love about this country, but the attempt to whitewash the past is pathetic,

The atrocities committed by the Imperial Japanese are just as horrible as those committed by the Nazis. Yet Germany admitted its past and moved on. 

Those interested in more details should hunt down a copy of "The Wages of Guilt" by Dutch author Ian Buruma, which compares how the war is taught in Germany and Japan.

Which western countries really tried to erase their factual past,

With the odd notable exception like the ICC, the West is trying really hard to erase the factual present in Palestine. This is to save the West's precious notion that Israel cannot be a bad actor.

Yes, Undoubtedly Koreans were victims of the system.

operated for nearly 400 years beginning in 1601

Sado was a penal island. Almost every one sent there over those 400 years had a one way ticket.

Worked to death.

Beaten to death.

Starved to death, And if you survived that, there is the Niigata winter.

Frozen to death.

Imagine the number of Japanese who died there before the Koreans.

Evil place!

"Many of them were given meager food rations and nearly no days off and were caught by police if they escaped, historians say. But the Japanese government has refused to admit they were “forced labor.”"

Anyone surprised? It's the same with Gunkanjima -- promised UNESCO status if they addressed the issue of forced labor, and they put up some tiny sign saying something like, "Koreans were given jobs here", which was taken down after getting the status. You have even weebs on here saying there were no sex slaves but that, "these women were eager prostitutes and were well paid!" or "It was Korea's fault, not Japan's!" So why would it be any surprise here that, once again, Japan doesn't want to fess up to its war crimes and only wants recognition as a victim?

quercetum:

An atomic bomb is also a “conflict curtailment contraption.” The U.S. employed two “peacemakers” to end the Pacific War.

Now that's what I call a euphemism. Or two.

Many people mistakenly believe that the fact that Korean workers were working there means that they were forced laborers.

Coal mining at the time resulted in many casualties, and the working conditions were much worse than today, regardless of whether the person was Japanese or Korean. On Gunkanjima, there were brothels exclusively for Koreans, and the wages were high, so workers flocked to the island.

It is unclear what kind of people were forced laborers, as they received a salary, had a pension system, and were given cigarettes.

There was no adequate research, and Korean textbooks list Japanese coal miners who died in Hokkaido as Koreans.

We don't need historians who only speak delusions, and the Japanese who worked on Gunkanjima and the Sado Gold Mine are still alive, so the lies that Korea claims will not hold up in Japan.

Here's an idea:

How about UNESCO refuses to consider any of Japan's constant needy requests to be rewarded for Unique Cultural Heritage until Japan owns up to the atrocities it committed?

You want your bauble? Admit what you did.

People always citied Germany but also Italy faced the past and admitted it’s mistakes and there is also a general revisionism in many other countries about colonialism etc.

The usual posters here which I won’t name will always desperately find an excuse to bash anyone that beg to differ from their thinking as Japan haters.

Personally I have a profound respect and admiration for Japan and it’s many amazing achievements in human history,but at the same time I do believe that from the people at the helm of this nations to the academics need all to take responsibility and teach to the future generations to the wrong actions and crimes conducted in the past.

Certain posters won't touch this with a ten foot poll and will pretend this article doesn't exist and will just downvote lol especially because as pointed out above that families who profited from this are major movers in the LDP and also were never brought to justice for war crimes during WWII as they agreed to play ball for Uncle Sam.

Despite Japan trying in the recent years to put everything under the Unesco even denying some parts of it’s dark past it will take them a lot before ranking the top as Italy has a total of 60 Unesco sites and Japan 26.

Re 'atrocity' in the headline. Brutality maybe, like J prisons today, and probably worse.

The word 'atrocity' in the title does not seem appropriate or on-topic here, except when generally describing other well-known WW2 atrocities further down in the article.

You know there are some payments involved, likely some on the table and some under the table.

How about UNESCO refuses to consider any of Japan's constant needy requests to be rewarded for Unique Cultural Heritage until Japan owns up to the atrocities it committed?

Japan will never come fully come clean. It's a waste of time thinking that will ever happen and its supporters on this site will forever find a way to sidestep Japan's culpability by pointing fingers somewhere else: " Well, what about (insert a country, non-related issue, etc here).

Apparently, Dutch and British POW's were intombed in these mines b6 the Kempetei after Japan surrendered. I think that these claims should be investigated.

Despite harsh conditions, it was in the interests of their captors to keep their mines running, and thus keep their 'slave' workers alive.

Deliberate killings, however, and alleged entombment would be an atrocity and should indeed be investigated.

Japan's announcement Thursday to send Akiko Ikuina, a parliamentary vice minister at Japan's foreign ministry, to the ceremony further raised doubts in South Korea over whether Japan is truly committed to fulfilling its pledge to honor the forced labor victims in a sincere manner.

Ikuina visited the Yasukuni Shrine to pay tribute to Japan's war dead following her election. The shrine, regarded as a symbol of Japan's militaristic past, has been a source of tension, with South Korea strongly opposing visits or offerings made by Japanese government officials.

https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20241123050005

Despite harsh conditions, it was in the interests of their captors to keep their mines running, and thus keep their 'slave' workers alive.

Deliberate killings, however, and alleged entombment would be an atrocity and should indeed be investigated.

Apologia for slavery seems to still be popular.

'We'll beat them if they slack off, withhold their pay, keep them confined if they try to escape. But why would we kill them? We have to keep the mines running and our pockets full"

The brutality of mines has been downplayed. That is a fact. Live with it.

Alan HarrisonToday  10:58 am JST

Apparently, Dutch and British POW's were intombed in these mines b6 the Kempetei after Japan surrendered. I think that these claims should be investigated.

They have already been investigated and no evidence of this has ever been found. The laborers were Japanese, Korean and Chinese and did not include Allied POWs. It is believed to be a misattributed rumor based on the treatment of POWs in copper and coal mines, but not in Sado.

Never will Japan be a true member of the international society. It is and remains convinced to be a superior race and only regrets to have lost the war.