June 4 Tiananmen Massacre Vigil — Shinjuku 2023
- Project
- ACT-004
- Location
- Shinjuku Station South Exit, Tokyo, Japan
- Date
- 4 June 2023, 18:00–20:00
傳承記憶 攜手同行 — Pass on the memory, walk together hand in hand.
On the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, approximately 500 people gathered at the South Exit of Shinjuku Station for the June 4 Tiananmen Massacre Vigil (六四紀念燭光晚會). The event was organised by a group of young Chinese activists in their 20s — the same group behind the November 2022 White Paper Movement rally at the same location. Merchandise proceeds were donated to the Tiananmen Mothers organisation.
Lady Liberty HK participated in a supporting role alongside roughly 20 other Hongkongers in Japan. As in previous years, Hong Kong participants had led June 4 commemorations in Tokyo; this year, with a Chinese-led group taking the initiative for the first time in decades, the Hong Kong contingent stepped back and provided support instead.
At the venue, a 3D-printed replica of the Pillar of Shame — printed by a young Hong Kong woman in Japan from the freely available 3D model — was displayed. The Pillar had been removed from the University of Hong Kong in December 2021; its presence in Shinjuku was a direct continuation of the preservation effort.
Electronic candles were distributed on-site. Open flames were prohibited.