The “Fading Voices” refer to the forgotten narratives of Korean forced laborers who contributed to Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution. These laborers were made to work in harsh conditions, and the legacy of their suffering is an essential part of the history associated with the Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution, which were recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015. The World Heritage Committee had recommended that Japan present the full history of each site, including the experiences of those who were forced to work there. Japan had not yet fulfilled this promise. This lack of action led the UNESCO World Heritage Committee to express strong regrets and call for Japan to faithfully implement its promise​. In 2021, the Industrial Heritage Information Centre in Tokyo was criticized for presenting materials that denied the fact that Koreans were forced into labor. The Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution consist of 23 facilities spread across 11 cities in 8 prefectures. Among these, several sites, such as the Yawata Steel Works, Mitsui Miike Coal Mine, Mitsubishi Nagasaki Shipyard, and Hashima Coal Mine, were known to have forcibly mobilized Koreans, Chinese, and Allied Prisoners of War. #koreanhistory #korea #japan #japanesehistory