September 1923

On September 1st, an extreme quake struck the Kanto region as if to break their peaceful days. Trees fell, houses collapsed, and extensive fires broke out, killing many innocent lives. And amid the disaster, false rumors fly around and spread in the blink of an eye to towns and villages in the Kanto region. By September 2nd, martial law was imposed in Tokyo, extending to Kanagawa on the 3rd and Chiba the next day, where Fukuda Village is, plunging crowds into chaos. The rumors reach Fukuda Village as evacuees retell what they heard, "Koreans are about to initiate a riot" and "Koreans looted and set fires," alarming the villagers and raising their suspicions. A local newspaper scrambles to verify the authenticity of the rumors, but they cannot clarify the truth. Taking advantage of the turmoil that followed the earthquake, the Kameido police station secretly starts suppressing socialists. And on September 6th, with coincidences, anxiety, and fear on top of one another, a significant incident occurs that would later be buried in history.