Fukuda Village Incident
The Fukuda Village Incident was a mass murder committed as part of the larger Kantō Massacre in, Chiba Prefecture, Empire of Japan on September 6, 1923. Nine ethnic Japanese people, including women and children, were killed on suspicion that they were ethnic Koreans.
Background
Immediately after the destructive Great Kantō Earthquake, rumors emerged that ethnic Koreans were planning to commit crimes across Japan. These rumors were, in part, supported by a cable sent under the name of Fumio Gotō, then director general of the Police Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of the Interior. The cable stated, "Taking advantage of the earthquake, Koreans are setting fires in various places, and...in Tokyo there are those who possess bombs, pour oil, and set fires". It urged regional directors to "strictly control the behavior" of Koreans.Lynch mobs soon formed, armed with swords and weapons. People were questioned at random as to whether or not they were Korean. Koreans who were positively identified were often killed, although victims also included Chinese and misidentified Japanese.