Voices
in
Japan

have your say

In your opinion, what should Japan do to resolve the World War II "comfort women" issue once and for all?

47 Comments

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

47 Comments
Login to comment

Angela Merkel already provided the perfect answer to this question.

"German Chancellor Angela Merkel waded into the fraught subject of wartime forgiveness during a visit to Japan in March, saying that “facing history squarely” and “generous gestures” were necessary to mend ties." (Excerpt from today's article on Abe's 70th anniversary war speech headlined in Japan Today.)

Former prime ministers Murayama and Kono were doing a terrific job of mending relations with Japan's neighbors and building a positive image of Japan worldwide. Japan sorely needs more of that style of leadership. Holidays in Japan remembering the non-Japanese victims of the war would also be a positive step.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

It's been done already. How many "once and for alls" must there be?

-9 ( +3 / -12 )

In my opinion- nothing. Japan will still have to apologise for the next hundred years.

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

as long as there remains a political motivation to use it, it will never been resolved.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Offer an official apology and symbolic payments directly to the victims. Then stop undermining the apologies with denials.

11 ( +13 / -2 )

Loads of posters with an apparently anti-China/Korea bias keep insisting these demands for apologies will continue indefinitely, but that's obviously not true. These demands for apologies can only continue so long as the people making them can appear to have the moral high ground.

This conflict persists because who holds the moral high ground is ambiguous: Japanese politicians have apologized, but they've also made statements and taken actions directly undermining their apology. The nation of Japan has refused to compensate these comfort women (private compensation just really doesn't claim the moral high ground). When the moral high ground is ambiguous, people tend to side with whichever group they more closely identify with, which is why so many JT posters reflexively dismiss all Chinese/Korean criticism of Japan's response to its past militarism. This board is basically Team Japan, and people tend to be more willing to forgive immoral behavior from the team they identify with than from the team that opposes them.

When the day rolls around that Japanese kids are taught the facts about comfort women in school, when no prominent politician denies that the state had a coercive roll in recruiting them, when there is frequent dialog between Japan and Korea about these women and when Japanese people are interested in their stories, likely calls to apologize will continue - for a little bit. But they'll eventually stop because haranguing a country about their immoral past when that country has unambiguously claimed the moral high ground in dealing with it makes you look like a prat.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Publish a book in English with facts and source data showing once and for all that there was no forced sex slaves during the war and send it to each and every media and embassy around the world.

-9 ( +1 / -10 )

Japan has time on its side so it will wait them out.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

data showing once and for all that there was no forced sex slaves during the war

Or, indeed, that there were forced sex slaves. But either way, base it on the historical record that all experts can agree on.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Each time Koreans demanded Japan concession, they said this would be last demand. Japan has been deceived by this "Once and for all" demands many times.

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

Japan should gather all males that participated in the brutal practice and let the comfort woman treat them the same way they are treated. Even Steven.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Each time Koreans demanded Japan concession, they said this would be last demand.

Supporting links please. Can't say I've ever seen them say that.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Strangerland

If you read the 65 normalization treaty it's pretty much wrote in black and white plus the negotiation memos in reaching agreement for the Kono speech is revealing.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

How about banishing the term 'comfort women' for starters. That would be a massive step - no a lunge - in the right direction.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

If you read the 65 normalization treaty it's pretty much wrote in black and white plus the negotiation memos in reaching agreement for the Kono speech is revealing.

As I said, supporting links please. If I was going to believe someone's claims alone, I wouldn't have asked for links in the first place.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Strangerland, You can easily check it by simply entering the name of statement like Kono statement in Japanese. It is well known in Japan. It was big news. Even Japan SK basic treaty has the clause that SK will never demand further.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

First, you said "Each time". Not once. You're shifting the goal posts.

Second, the fact that you cannot provide links says to me that you just made it up in the first place.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Simple: do what the US and Canada with the Japanese internment camp people: compensate victims with money from state coffers and then give an official government apology: a resolution in the Diet to express the will of the Japanese people.

Oh, and don't back-peddle after you've done it.

"If you read the 65 normalization treaty"

Many of the revelations of the comfort women emerged after 1965, thanks to, yes, the Japanese, who destroyed or hid the evidence.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Many of the revelations of the comfort women emerged after 1965, thanks to, yes, the Japanese, who destroyed or hid the evidence.

because it is a fake story. I think Japan should consider cutting the diplomatic tie with SK like NK.

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

JeffLee

Many of the revelations of the comfort women emerged after 1965

Yeah 1991 to be exact when Asahi Shimbun ran that stupid false series article.

As for whether it was before or after really doesn't matter as written within the normalization treaty which you would know if you actually read the document.LoL

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Angela Merkel already provided the perfect answer to this question.

"German Chancellor Angela Merkel waded into the fraught subject of wartime forgiveness during a visit to Japan in March, saying that “facing history squarely” and “generous gestures” were necessary to mend ties."

Agreed. How about taking a dozen or so of the survivors, maybe two or three from each country, and bring them to Tokyo and host them to a couple of special events -- like honoring them with a proclamation at the Diet, and maybe even a special "meet and greet" with the Emperor and Empress. Hell, if the Emperor can host his annual "spring party; he can certainly do something with actual meaning.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Yeah 1991 to be exact when Asahi Shimbun ran that stupid false series article.

Yes, and SK claims 200,000 young women were kidnapped and nobody noticed until 1991? LOL

And Asahi Shimbun admitted last year that it was a fake story .

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

tinawatanabe AUG. 14, 2015 - 09:06PM JST And Asahi Shimbun admitted last year that it was a fake story .

Asahi claimed that one of their stories about about one small group of Korean sex slaves was fake. Not that all stories about Korean sex slaves were fake. The fake Asahi story barely scratches the surface of the real stories of Imperial Japanese forced sexual slavery.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

katsu78

The truth is there are no other stories that had ever been authenticated by either Asahi or anyone else. Actual Korean professors who done actual field work acknowledge this which got him in trouble with Korean rightwinger.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

"Yeah 1991 to be exact when Asahi Shimbun ran that stupid false series article."

LOL. Wrong. The research in the 1980s and 90s including that by Professor Yoshiaki Yoshimi, working independently, who found documents proving the existence of Japan's government brothel system.

He found them in the Defense Agency Library that the Imperial Japanese Army established and ran the "comfort stations".

Prior to that. the Japanese destroyed all the documents it could while denying its very existence, and the 1965 and other agreements were based on that.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

The truth is there are no other stories that had ever been authenticated by either Asahi or anyone else.

Yeah, it's not like there is testimony from the women to whom it happened or anything.

...oh wait. Yes there is.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

For SK who is building comfort women statues all over, it is nothing to ask comfort women to speak for SK. Besides testimony is not evidence.

JeffLee, Why can't SK provide any evidence instead of you whining Japan destroyed? They don't even provide the names of 200,000.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

I agree with Sensato. And please teach the true of what happened and quit with the euphamism "comfort women".

2 ( +3 / -1 )

JeffLee

Professor Yoshiaki Yoshimi

Yeah, he's the one that states that all who were sold by their families are sex slave. He also neglects to state the fact that the one acted as the middle men were Koreans and that all females were given the right to deny any customer, were paid 10times the amount of regular workers, had holidays and were able to buy themselves out of the system in which more or less 6 months pay. He also forgets to mention that most of the girls after making enough money to buy themselves out of the system stayed since the money was much better then they could have ever made doing an honest living.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

quit with the euphamism "comfort women".

revise to what?

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Triring AUG. 14, 2015 - 11:07PM JST Yeah, he's the one that states that all who were sold by their families are sex slave. He also neglects to state the fact that the one acted as the middle men were Koreans and that all females were given the right to deny any customer, were paid 10times the amount of regular workers, had holidays and were able to buy themselves out of the system in which more or less 6 months pay. He also forgets to mention that most of the girls after making enough money to buy themselves out of the system stayed since the money was much better then they could have ever made doing an honest living.

"All"? "Most"? Those are some pretty specific claims. I hope you have equally specific evidence backing them up.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"All"? "Most"? Those are some pretty specific claims. I hope you have equally specific evidence backing them up.

No, it is SK that should provide evidence to accuse Japan.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

No, it is SK that should provide evidence to accuse Japan.

No.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

tinawatanabe AUG. 15, 2015 - 12:05AM JST "No, it is SK that should provide evidence to accuse Japan.

They do, in the form of eyewitness testimony from thousands of witnesses that is consistent with the Imperial Japanese Army's general behavior across East Asia. If you'd like the victims of Japanese aggression to keep notarized receipts of the times they were raped by soldiers, I'm afraid your expectations are unreasonable.

We have documented evidence of Japanese soldiers rampaging across Asia, killing innocents, murdering women and children, cruelly experimenting on prisoners of war. To claim that in that environment of abuse and dehumanization the military meticulously paid handsome wages to every one of its sex slaves despite those slaves themselves claiming otherwise, that is the extraordinary claim that requires extraordinary evidence.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The answer is simple: Tell the truth and compensate the victims.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Simply put Prime Minister Shinzo Abe should send a letter of apology to the surviving comfort women and have it delivered to the South Korea embassy and then create a humanitarian fund which can be used to build museums etc. That should be sufficient. South Korea claims that it's not about money but it's about Japan accepting full responsibility. Do you believe that? I wonder.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

"Why can't SK provide any evidence instead of you whining Japan destroyed?"

Because the Japanese ran the administration in Korea at the time, and they were the ones who compiled -- and later destroyed - the documents.

"Yeah, he's the one that states that all who were sold by their families are sex slave."

Must more importantly, he was the one who confronted the Japanese government with irrefutable evidence that the government had been lying, forcing it to end its denials and admit the truth. Yep, and this was well after 1965.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Katsu: "They do, in the form of eyewitness testimony from thousands of witnesses"

Where? SK only managed to collect a handful of comfort women. Testimony is not evidence.

Jefflee: " later destroyed - the documents".

So, You admit there is no evidence. Provide the evidence for "Japan destroyed"

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

"So, You admit there is no evidence."

There has always been evidence. But in terms of Japanese documents, there was no proof, until around the early 90s, when professor Yoshimi, working independently, found papers from the era in the Defense Agency Library proving the Japanese govt's role in running brothels. Japan had til then denied having the role. (It lied.)

Anyway, there has always been plenty of records, etc evidence from the Dutch, British, etc. But the Japanese don't trust foreigners, and hence don't view their official documents, records and testimony as "evidence."

"Provide the evidence for "Japan destroyed""

Burning of Confidential Documents by Japanese Government, case no.43, serial 2, International Prosecution Section vol. 8; "When it became apparent that Japan would be forced to surrender, an organized effort was made to burn or otherwise destroy all documents and other evidence of ill-treatment of prisoners of war and civilian internees. The Japanese Minister of War issued an order on 14 August 1945 to all Army headquarters that confidential documents should be destroyed by fire immediately. On the same day, the Commandant of the Kempetai sent out instructions to the various Kempetai Headquarters detailing the methods of burning large quantities of documents efficiently.", Clancey 1948, p. 1135; "[…] , the actual number of comfort women remains unclear because the Japanese army incinerated many crucial documents right after the defeat for fear of war crimes prosecution, […]", Yoshimi 2000, p. 91; Bix 2000, p. 528; "Between the announcement of a ceasefire on August 15, 1945, and the arrival of small advance parties of American troops in Japan on August 28, Japanese military and civil authorities systematically destroyed military, naval, and government archives, much of which was from the period 1942–1945. Imperial General Headquarters in Tokyo dispatched enciphered messages to field commands throughout the Pacific and East Asia ordering units to burn incriminating evidence of war crimes, especially offenses against prisoners of war. The director of Japan's Military History Archives of the National Institute for Defense Studies estimated in 2003 that as much as 70 percent of the army's wartime records were burned or otherwise destroyed.", Drea 2006, p. 9.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

There has always been evidence. But in terms of Japanese documents, there was no proof

Then provide evidence Korean have. You are saying 200,000 young korean women were kidnapped from their houses during the war, there must be some evidence in Korea.

Burning of Confidential Documents by Japanese Government

Your writing here cannot be evidence. Provide link that were written before 1991.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

JeffLee

Japan had til then denied having the role. (It lied.)

Wrong and you famed professor Yoshimi didn't have anything to do with it either. The role the IJA had was to regulate the female health check-up sending in doctor and provide passage to the brothel in the front line. IJA as an organization did not have any responsibility in running the brothels although some officers did in their private capacity. This is and was public knowledge during and after the war.

The soldiers also testified the regulations on conduct at those brothels and was severely punished if they had misbehaved.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"Wrong and you famed professor Yoshimi didn't have anything to do with it either"

Right, and yes it did. The IJA was dispatching doctors for checkups (so Japanese soldiers wouldn't be sidelined by the clap), yet the govt was fully unengaged?! How enterprising of the military. LOL.

Anyway, the documents presented by Yoshimi in 1992 specified the Japanese government's role in running the comfort women system. Until then, Tokyo denied having such a role. Keep in mind that Tokyo at the end of the war energetically destroyed all the documents it could relating to its atrocities so that such a role wouldn't be uncovered.

So in that light, Japan entered the 1965 agreement in bad faith, and the victims have a right to seek compensation beyond its stipulations.

Anyway, the 1992 finding forced Tokyo to finally acknowledge its role and to start issuing apologies. Remember them? But now.... the Japan have back-peddled.

Well, that's the background in a nutshell. What a mess.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

It wouldn't matter what Japan did or said in the way of apology--there would always be people (Nations?) who would not be satisfied and would be complaining.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

This was done many times over and over and over. This article was taken from CNN here in the US. http://www.quora.com/How-should-the-Japanese-government-adequately-apologize-and-compensate-for-their-use-of-comfort-women-during-WW2

Heres what it stated about compensation. First, there is the high-level agreement made along with the Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea of 1965. In the agreement is indisputable clause stating that problems in regard to property or claims between Japan and Korea have been settled completely and finally. Japanese government paid 364 million USD (roughly 2.7 billion USD in today's dollar) in compensation for about a million of Koreans conscripted into labor force and military. Considering that Japan had about 1.4 billion USD as a foreign exchange reserve at the time, that was a significant amount of money, albeit small for 36 years of brutal occupation for more than a million of laborers. More reasonable sum should have been 360 billion USD (1965 estimate), but the military regime in South Korea at the time was more interested in getting quick, but large loans to build basic infrastructures. They ended up using most of the money obtained through this treaty for economic development. The key decision maker behind all of these was the father of the current President Park. The Miracle of Han River doesn't sound like such a miracle now, does it?

The agreement itself was not disclosed until 2005 when victims sued the government to disclose the agreement a year earlier, and most of Koreans were unaware of its existence until the media started to make people more aware of such historical aberration. The victims themselves virtually received no compensation from the government, and for such reasons the general public virtually ignores the existence of the agreement. The South Korean government (unwittingly, perhaps?) conveniently and yet completely absolved itself the responsibility to make any type of claims on behalf of victims during the Occupation and significantly weakened any potential, future claims of victims.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

conscripted into labor force and military.

The labor force were compensated and conscription of the military didn't start till 1944. Che Keiho a Guest Professor at Kaya University states that 7000 Korean applicants came for an opening of 1000 in Japan at the time.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Revised to forced prostitutes.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

the Reparation to comfort woman had been already finished by 1965. But the father of Park Geun-hye as you know the president at that time had spent the money to rebuild for Korean economics called Miracle on the Han River. In the first place the money was supposed to help and pass to comfort woman. Did you notice that? the Reparation was included in Japan‐Republic of Korea Basic Relations Treaty in 1965. Japan payed Three times the national budget to Korea . That's all finished story.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites