The Hamamatsu War Incident and Its Depths" - 1948, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan

The Hamamatsu War Incident and Its Depths" - 1948, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan

In 1948, sparks flew in the black market of Hamamatsu. In this town where the postwar confusion remained strong, a local gang, the Hattori clan, and a group of zainichi Koreans clashed. The incident lasted for several days, with guns and even Molotov cocktails flying around, spreading unrest throughout the city. It is believed to have originated from a dispute over black market interests. The city was in the process of reconstruction, supplies were in short supply, and black market transactions had become commonplace. To protect their livelihood, Korean vigilante organizations and traditional local gangs emerged.

They were not mere criminal organizations, but "necessary evils" born of the times, and they took hold of security and order as if to compensate for the absence of state power. The police and the Occupation Forces (MP) were mobilized to maintain security and order, and the situation finally calmed down. But this incident was more than just a struggle for power. It highlighted the friction between ethnic groups, the need to take up arms for survival, and the fissures in Japanese society where there was no governance.