Civic group leads efforts over 1942 undersea mine disaster
A Japanese civic group is leading efforts to collect the remains of those who died in the 1942 flooding accident at the Chosei undersea coal mine in Ube, Yamaguchi Prefecture. The group has collected funds mainly online and conducted its investigations, cooperating with d…
Intelligence analysis by Llama
A Japanese civic group is leading efforts to collect the remains of those who died in the 1942 flooding accident at the Chosei undersea coal mine in Ube, Yamaguchi Prefecture. The group has collected funds mainly online and conducted its investigations, cooperating with divers. The Japanese and South Korean governments have begun DNA analysis of remains collected from the site after t…
A group of people in Japan are trying to find the remains of people who died in a mine accident a long time ago. They are working with divers and the government to try to identify the remains and give them a proper burial.
Analysis
The Chosei Coal Mine Disaster
The Chosei coal mine, which opened in 1914, was submerged after an abnormal inflow of water about 1 kilometer from the entrance on February 3, 1942, during World War II. The accident killed 183 people, including 136 from the Korean Peninsula. Its entrance was closed with the bodies of the victims left inside.
The Civic Group's Efforts
A Japanese civic group, established in 1991, has been leading efforts to collect the remains of those who died in the accident. The group has conducted underwater investigations as the government failed to meet its request for probes inside the mine on grounds that remains could not be located. The group collected funds mainly online and conducted its investigations, cooperating with divers.
DNA Analysis
In August 2025, divers who went underwater from an exhaust and drainage shaft successfully collected bones including a skull. The civic group requested the government to conduct joint DNA analysis with South Korea. In a summit in January this year, the two countries' leaders agreed to cooperate in identifying the remains. They also agreed to advance related procedures in May. Members of the Japanese Foreign Ministry and a South Korean expert organization visited Yamaguchi to bring back samples of the remains and are conducting analysis.
The Group's Plans
The civic group is planning to fix the shaft as part of a project to build a peace park around the site of the former coal mine. "We want to preserve (the site) as a cultural property and make it a historical place," Inoue said.
Key points
- A Japanese civic group is leading efforts to collect the remains of those who died in the 1942 flooding accident at the Chosei undersea coal mine in Ube, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
- The group has collected funds mainly online and conducted its investigations, cooperating with divers.
- The Japanese and South Korean governments have begun DNA analysis of remains collected from the site after the group requested such research.
- The civic group is planning to fix the shaft as part of a project to build a peace park around the site of the former coal mine.
If the civic group's efforts are successful, it could lead to a more accurate understanding of the Chosei coal mine disaster and its impact on the people affected. It could also lead to a more peaceful resolution between Japan and South Korea.
The group's efforts may be hindered by the complexity of the DNA analysis process and the potential for contamination of the remains. Additionally, the group's plans to build a peace park may be met with resistance from local residents or the government.