On December 12, 1943, during one of the darkest chapters of Imperial Japanese colonial rule over Korea, the entire peninsula was mobilized for a synchronized prayer toward the Ise Grand Shrine in central Japan. At precisely 1:22 PM, every Korean was compelled to bow towards the east to swear a vow to the enshrined pantheon of Shinto gods to annihilate Imperial Japan's enemies, the U.S. and Britain. This extraordinary event, designed to demonstrate loyalty to the Empire, marked a departure from the usual rituals of the time.
This event marked the one-year anniversary of the Emperor's secret journey to the Ise Grand Shrine on December 12, 1942 to pray for victory at Guadalcanal. At the time, it was considered very unprecedented for the Emperor himself to stand alone before the Inner Shrine sanctuary at Ise to recite a prayer for victory. Contemporary press reports noted that this didn't happen even during the First Sino-Japanese War or the Russo-Japanese War (link).
Under colonial rule, daily life in Korea was punctuated by strict, state-imposed ceremonies. At 7:00 AM each morning, Koreans were required to perform remote worship (宮城遥拝) toward the Imperial Palace. At noon, they observed a moment of silence (正午の黙祷) to honor Japan’s war dead. These two times of the day were usually marked by loud sirens. Every Korean was expected to participate, with members of local neighborhood cells (patriotic groups) strictly organized to ensure compliance. Even buses and trains stopped at that moment, forcing passengers to partake.
On October 23, 1944, Koreans would once again be mobilized for a synchronized prayer, this time toward Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine. At precisely 9:15 AM, every Korean was compelled to bow in reverence to Imperial Japan’s war dead, who were enshrined as gods.
This forced mass worship was a chilling manifestation of Imperial Japan’s assimilation policies, aimed at erasing Korean identity and replacing it with blind devotion to the Empire. The ritualistic nature, combined with the total control over public and private life, reflects the deep cultural and spiritual subjugation that Koreans endured.
[Translation]
Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) December 13, 1943
A Perfectly Solemn Moment
A Vow of Certain Victory Across Every Corner of the Korean Peninsula
Yesterday Was the Day of Nationwide Shrine Worship
At 1:22 p.m. on December 12, 1942, the sacred moment when His Majesty the Emperor most reverently paid homage at the Ise Grand Shrine—this day, this very hour, was humbly recalled. One full year later, at that same moment, the one hundred million subjects standing firm on the home front, each from their respective places, reverently turned their gaze and worshiped toward the distant land of Ise.
On this day, here too on the beloved Korean peninsula, twenty-five million people together raised the national flag at every household. Beneath the crystal-clear winter sky, the pure Hinomaru vividly re-created the emotion of that day and that hour, remaining utterly pure and utterly solemn.
Fired with single-minded fighting spirit to annihilate the hated enemy, America and Britain, Sunday was no obstacle. In every workplace, selfless devotion to production on the home front continued unabated. Then, at last, 1:22 p.m. arrived, and the radio solemnly announced the time of nationwide shrine worship.
Ah, at that moment, without distinction of age or gender, those walking the streets, those operating machines, those working in the kitchen, all alike straightened their collars, set their expressions firm, oriented their posture toward the distant east, and quietly, quietly bowed their bodies low. They offered up a burning fighting spirit, resolved to strike and strike until the enemy was utterly destroyed.
For ten seconds, twenty seconds, heads bowed deeply and ever more deeply, the noble Imperial Presence advancing toward the land of Ise seemed to revive vividly and reverently within the hearts of the people. The Emperor’s august resolve, solemnly pledging before the distant Imperial Ancestors the inevitable destruction of the vile enemy, returned with overwhelming force to the hearts of the common people.
As they silently intoned, “Strike and strike until they are destroyed!” the fighting spirit overflowed through the entire bodies, emotion surging until hot tears streamed down their cheeks. Raising neither head nor gaze, focusing the mind’s eye, they vividly saw the heroic spirits who perished gloriously in the Battle of Attu, and the loyal spirit of Admiral Yamamoto, who soared heavenward amid the dense clouds of the South Pacific, pointing unmistakably across the Pacific Ocean.
We shall annihilate them! The American and British demons who must be struck down without mercy! Even should they come advancing, piloting aircraft no more formidable than dragonflies, escorting funeral fleets resembling earthen coffins, not a single plane nor a single ship shall be allowed to return in satisfaction. The sacred land of the Divine Realm shall never be violated; enduring with heaven and earth, it is eternally indestructible. We, the one hundred million, will resolutely defend it to the end.
If they rely on numbers, we shall meet them with numbers. If they rely on intrigue, we shall counter with intrigue. Thus, we solemnly and forcefully swore again and again to pursue the demons of America and Britain, the enemies of all humanity, to the very ends of the earth.
The winter sky remained endlessly deep and clear. The rising-sun flags shone ever more brilliantly. The twenty-five million people of the Korean peninsula, bodies and souls devoted to the nation in selfless sacrifice, offered worship toward the distant land of Ise with resolute determination to fight through and win even the third year of the Sacred War.
(Photograph: Silent prayer of production warriors)
[Transcription]
京城日報 1943年12月13日
ぴたり厳粛の一瞬
半島津々浦々に必勝の誓い
きのう総神拝の日
昭和十七年十二月十二日午後一時二十二分畏くも天皇陛下伊勢神宮御親拝の御時刻ーこの日この刻を謹みて顧み奉る一億銃後蒼生は満一年後の同時刻、各自在所より恭しく遥かなる伊勢路の彼方を拝し奉ったのである。この日愛国半島でも二千五百万斉しく戸毎に国旗を掲げれば澄み渡りたる冬空に清浄の日の丸はあの日あの刻の感激をそのまま再現してあくまで清くあくまで厳粛である。
宿敵米英撃滅のひたぶる闘魂を昂揚して日曜日もものかは、各職域に銃後生産の滅私奉公を続ければ、やがて午後一時二十二分ーラジオは厳かに総神拝の時刻を告げるのであった。ああこの刻、老幼を問わず、男女の差別なく道往く人も、機械を操る人も厨房に在る人も一斉に襟を正し面を引き緊め遥なる東方に姿勢を整え静かに静かに体を伏し撃ちてし止まむ。撃ちてし止まむ火と燃える闘魂を捧げ奉ったのであった。十秒二十秒深く深く頭をうなだるれば尊き玉体を遥けき伊勢路に進めさせ給い醜敵必滅を御力強く遠つ御祖に御誓い遊ばされた宸襟のほどが、ひしひしと民草の胸内に勿体なくも蘇って来るのであった。
撃ちてし止まむ、撃ちてし止まむと念ずれば闘魂いよいよ五体に溢れ激情は熱涙となって頬を伝う。更に頭もえ上げず心眼を凝視すればアツツ島に玉砕せる英魂、南太平洋の密雲に天翅けりし山本元帥の忠魂がまざまざと太平洋の彼方を指さすのである。殲滅せん、米鬼、撃たて止むべき英鬼、蜻蛉に等しき飛機を操るとともに土造に似たる葬送艦隊を進め来るとも一機一艦たりとも満足には帰さじ、神州不犯の聖地は天壌と共に永劫不滅われ等一億断じて護り抜かん。
量を恃まば量を以て、謀略には謀略を以て人類の宿敵米英鬼共を地球の涯まで追い撃たんーと厳にまた強く断じて断じて誓い奉るのであった。冬空は飽くまで深く澄み日章旗は更に清々、二千五百万民草の五体また殉国滅私、聖戦第三年目をも勝ち抜かんとの決意も凛々と遥かなる伊勢路を奉拝したのであった。
【写真＝増産戦士の黙祷】
Source: National Library of Korea, Digital Newspaper Archive
See also:
- When all of Korea was forced to bow to Yasukuni Shrine to worship Imperial Japan’s war dead as gods: a chilling moment at 9:15 AM on October 23, 1944 (link)
- Everyone in Korea was required to immediately stop exactly at 7 am for the Kyūjō Yōhai prayer vowing loyalty to the Emperor and at noon for the moment of silence honoring Imperial soldiers, even cars and trains had to immediately stop in the middle of traffic at the same time for prayers (Aug. 1943) (link)
- Koreans in Seoul streetcar observing mandatory daily Moment of Silence at noon in 1943 to honor Imperial soldiers; caption reads “they offer infinite gratitude for the blood-soaked toil of the generals who are fighting valiantly to destroy the U.S. and Britain on the pathetically brutal front lines” (link)
- Imperial Japanese cartoon from 1943 shows how Koreans were forced to bow to the Emperor every morning, speak Japanese, and accept poverty without complaints (link)
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