The true story of the great earthquake and massacre in Japan in “Pachinko”

Since its debut in March 2022 Pachinko captivated audiences with its fascinating characters and stunning cinematographyThe first season of the drama, which spans several generations, follows the life of Sunja (played in her youth by Kim Minha and in her later years by Oscar winner Youn Yuh-jung), a Korean woman living in Japan in the 1930s. Sunja has to endure many tragedies, but has the heart of a survivor who is able to carry on thanks to her strength and determination. The series alternates between telling Sunja’s story and that of her grandson Solomon Baek (Jin Ha), a young man struggling to survive in the tough financial world of Japan in the 1980s.

Pachinko is based on a bestselling novel by Min Jin Leeand although the book is fictional, many of the events described in it are based on fact. Sunja’s character was inspired by a real group called the Zainichi Koreans, who immigrated to Japan before 1945 (when Japan still controlled Korea). Both the book and the series show how Sunja (and other Koreans like her) were discriminated against and mistreated simply because of their origins. An event depicted in Season 1 was taken directly from an actual historical tragedy.

Pachinko

Based on the New York Times bestseller, this sweeping saga tells the story of the hopes and dreams of a Korean immigrant family across four generations as they leave their homeland in their relentless quest to survive and thrive.

Release date

March 25, 2022

Creator

So, Hugh

Pour

Jin Ha, Soji Arai, Jun-woo Han, In-ji Jeong

Main genre

drama

Seasons

2

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The earthquake in “Pachinko” really happened in 1923

Episode 7 of the first season is a departure from Sunja’s story. In flashbacks, viewers get to know Hansu (Lee Minho) as a young man living in Japan. The episode describes a massive earthquake. This event actually happened. On September 1, 1923, the Japanese region of Kantō (in the greater Tokyo-Yokohama area) was struck by a severe earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale, killing over 140,000 people. More than half of the brick buildings and many reinforced concrete structures were completely destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of homes either collapsed in the first earthquake or were destroyed in the subsequent fires that ravaged the area.. To add to the danger, the Atami earthquake on the Sagami Gulf triggered a tsunami (reaching a height of over 39.5 feet). The tsunami destroyed another 155 houses and killed 60 people. These natural disasters devastated the area and had a tremendous impact on the citizens living in Japan at the time.

As devastating as the earthquake and tsunami were, there was another, even more tragic, aspect to this event. In the aftermath of the quake, more than 6,000 Korean citizens living in the area were murdered, earning the area the nickname Kantō Massacre. The massacre came about because false rumors began circulating immediately after the quake that the Zainichi were setting fires, poisoning wells, and planning uprisings to take over the city. To this day, the Japanese government has not taken responsibility for these deaths, suspecting that they were carried out by dangerous vigilante groups who went around killing their neighbors. However, relatives of the victims claim that the government is merely downplaying their role in the massacre.Many eyewitness accounts from that time mention that police officers (and even some Japanese soldiers) were involved in attacks on Koreans (including stabbing them with swords or beating them with iron rods and bamboo sticks). Even more than 100 years later, the incident remains a dark stain in Japan’s history.

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These events have a major impact on one of the main characters of “Pachinko”

The earthquake is inserted into the plot of Pachinko to provide more details about Hansu’s background. He was teaching a young American and originally planned to move to the USA with the family. When the earthquake happens, Hansu’s plans go up in smoke. He miraculously survives the quake, although his father is killed in the process. Hansu manages to escape the danger and helps the American family reach the ship, but an explosion separates him and they are also killed. Trapped in the chaos of the city, he has to watch as injured and dying people try to escape the danger. The series provides insight into the Kantō Massacre by showing Hansu overhearing rumors of escaped Korean prisoners from the nearby prison and Koreans poisoning the water. While fleeing the town, he sees a group of Koreans trying to escape an angry mob. Although a Japanese man tries to help them by leading them to a nearby barn to hide, Hansu watches in horror as the Koreans are found by the mob and burned alive in the barn.

These events are not only eye-opening, but they also help to understand how Hansu became the man he is when he meets Sunja. At this point He is bitter about the tragedies he witnessed after the earthquakeespecially how his countrymen were scapegoated, mistreated and killed. Pachinko Showrunner So, Hugh said in an interview with esquire that “the past is important. One of the things we always talked about Pachinko is the idea of ​​the “other life”. If this earthquake had not happened or Hansu had not lived in Yokohama, who would he be? He would not be the Hansu we know.” If Hansu had been able to realize his dreams in America, he would not have become a merchant in Japan and would never have met Sunja. He would probably also have been a much more loving and sensitive person if he had not experienced such terrible things as a young man.

Hugh wanted to include the earthquake and massacre in the series because she believes these real-life events would still be relevant to today’s audience (especially given the 2020 unrest in the US). Lee Minho also spoke to esquire about the filming of Hansu’s Journey, he said: “I don’t necessarily think the aim of our show is to inform people about historical events. But every time these big events or disasters happen, we remember the events and not the people who were sacrificed. I hope that by capturing these moments in the show, we can be reminded of history…” Pachinko will likely continue to depict true events (such as the impact of World War II on Sunja and her family) and tell the story of the Zainichis, who endured such tremendous struggles in the 20th century. But the earthquake episode will remain for us an outstanding television report that describes a shocking historical event.

Season 1 of Pachinko is available to stream on AppleTV+ in the US. Season 2 will premiere on August 23.

Watch on AppleTV+