PRESS CONFERENCE

One Japan Community's Bid for Reconciliation With Korean Residents

Akiko Tagawa, the Director of Utoro Peace Memorial Hall
Jinwoong Kwak, the co-representative, Utoro Private Fund
Shiki Tomimasu, Attorney-at-law, a member of the counsel team for victims of the Utoro Arson Case

14:00-15:00 Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Language: The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation.

While the new president of South Korea seeks to re-set frosty ties with Japan, Korean residents of Japan face their own difficulties in getting along with their hosts. Among them is a series of fires in the last year set by a young Japanese who targeted Korean institutions in Japan, including the Utoro Peace Memorial Museum, which opened in April. The trial of 22-year-old Shogo Arimoto is ongoing and is regarded by many as a hate crime.
Ironically, the Utoro Peace Memorial Museum in Kyoto was set up "to be a location where people of different backgrounds can meet, learn, and interact while learning the history of the Utoro area, a community where Korean residents in Japan and citizens of Japan and Korea worked together to overcome various difficulties." The Utoro area has historically been a target for disputes between the two communities, but with help from the Korean government, Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, as well as local governments, Utoro is trying to create opportunities for Koreans, Japanese and others to understand the past and look towards a harmonious future.
To explain these cultural complexities, Akiko Tagawa, Director of Utoro Peace Memorial Hall, Jinwoong Kwak of the Utoro Private Fund, and lawyer Shiki Tomimasu, a member of the legal team representing victims of the Utoro Arson Case, will come to the Club on June 15.
 

How to attend: 
Please register at front@fccj.or.jp with your name, the name of your media outlet and FCCJ membership number. Due to space restrictions, attendance will be limited. Doors open 15 minutes before the event. Please sign in, giving your name and contact details at reception, and have your temperature taken.

How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live 
Livestreaming of the event will be available and video will be uploaded to the FCCJ YouTube channel. 

How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/N6pW7CLcUJgx9uv47
Members watching online can submit questions for the speakers in advance using this submission form.

TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews 30 minutes before the event. 
 


Professional Activities Committee