Katō Kōko's Meiji Industrial Revolution – Forgetting forced labor to celebrate Japan's World Heritage Sites – Part 1

A UNESCO/ICOMOS report from July 2021 revealed that the Industrial Heritage Information Centre for Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution World Heritage Sites presents a misleading narrative, omitting the history of forced labor at these sites. The Centre, managed by Katō Kōko, was tasked with documenting remembrance for victims of forced labor, including Koreans, Chinese, and Allied POWs, but instead promotes celebratory narratives that deny this dark history. Despite Japan's agreement to acknowledge such practices during the 2015 inscription process, Katō's leadership has prioritized a sanitized version of history, backed by powerful political figures, undermining international cooperation on historical accuracy.

Johnsen, N. (2021). Katō Kōko’s Meiji Industrial Revolution – Forgetting forced labor to celebrate Japan’s World Heritage Sites – Part 1. Asia-Pacific Journal, 19(7). https://doi.org/10.1017/s1557466021031508