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There is no evidence that people called comfort women were taken away by force or threat by the Japanese military. If three is such evidence, South Korea should provide it.

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Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto, responding to South Korean President Lee Myung Bak's demand that Japan apologize to Korean wartime sex slaves. (Japan Times)

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The new Ishihara!

7 ( +8 / -1 )

This man gets even more disgusting every time he opens his stupid mouth.

17 ( +19 / -2 )

This is an excuse to bah Korea and it shows that the man is a racist. Korea is not the only country involved in this matter but he singles them out. Yes, they make the most noise about it but this man has shown his true colours, i hope the world is watching.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

This is the reason that modern japanese history should be taught in more detail in the japanese education system.

Comments that I've heard from young Japanese colleagues over the last few years

Nanking never happened because my professor at Nagoya Uni said so (Person has an MA).

Japan is similar to Britain. It has never been occupied by a foreign country (Another person with MA).

Japan fought the war to liberate Asia from white people (Another person with MA).

Of course Hashimoto is the realization of all that the M of Education has been hoping for over the last 50 years. A historically ignorant citizen whose half way to being the Japanese citizen his great grandfather was during early Showa. All that's missing is a bit of Emperor worship and replacing the kaisha with the military. With those, Japan can get back to its true calling and destiny.

While there are ignorant and stupid people in every country, it amazes me how many there are, in japan, in positions of authority, who have a supposed good education.

4 ( +13 / -9 )

OK. It's decided that he's a right wing nationalist. So, it's easy to come up with what he's asking for right?

-14 ( +2 / -16 )

You can't see what you don't want to see.

That's clearly the case with a lot of Japanese politicians.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Toru Hashimoto's assertion that "There is no evidence that people called comfort women were taken away by violence or threat by the (Japanese) military," is disgraceful and truly astonishing. It is particularly troubling to hear this nonsense coming from one of Japan's most visible public servants, and a man touted by many as a possible future political leader.

Not only have many historians - including Japanese researchers - estimated that between 50,000 and 200,000 women were forced into prostitution by the Japanese military during Japan's occupation, but doctors, agents and former soldiers of the Japanese army have repeatedly testified these crimes took place, not only in Korea but also in China and other asian colonies. Numerous former Japanese soldiers have confirmed beyond any doubt that women were kidnapped from outlying villages and forced - often at gunpoint - to serve as prostitutes.

The establishment of brothels for the use of Japanese military personnel was official army policy. According to historian Yvonne Park Hsu, Imperial Ordinance No. 519 in 1944 established legal grounds for the recruitment of comfort women. In his memoirs even former Prime Minister Nakasone writes that he personally authorised the construction of a comfort station for his Naval Corps personnel in Borneo.

In 1993 Chief Cabinet spokesman Yohei Kono acknowledged the sexual slavery employed by the Imperial Army.

A 1996 United Nations Commission on Human Rights special report concluded unequivocally that "most of the women kept at the comfort stations were taken against their will, that the Japanese Imperial Army initiated, regulated and controlled the vast network of comfort stations, and that the Government of Japan is responsible for the comfort stations. In addition, the Government of Japan should be prepared to assume responsibility for what this implies under international law".

During The International Women's War Crimes Tribunal in 2000, numerous women testified to the abuse they had suffered. Japanese officials were so shell-shocked they attempted to portray the women as former prostitutes who were attempting to swindle the Japanese government.

The fact remains that, as historian Professor Hiroshi Hayashi has commented, this issue is a thorn in Japan's side. Not only does it reveal the dark side of Japan's Imperial occupation of the 1930s and 40s, it also gives the lie to Japan's claim that it was fighting to free Asia from western imperialism.

Is it any wonder that, even now, almost seventy years after the end of the war, Japan enjoys shaky relations with most of its Asian neighbours? Compare that that with the incredible progress Germany and its European neighbors have made in facing up to the unpleasant realities of the past.

13 ( +15 / -2 )

Not only have many historians - including Japanese researchers - estimated that between 50,000 and 200,000

The high number of 200,000 was given by Professor Yoshimi who went to state that he could not find any evidence the that military forcibly kidnaped women into prostitution. Hence, what he did was to expand the definition of "forced" where by it included "economic hardships, parents selling their daughters, and middle men who recruited these women forcibily".

There is no denying that Japanes military controlled these units as evidenced by documented records of Japanese government retrieved by Tomiichi Murayama, a former PM who spent the rest of his politicial days gathering as much evidence when he was a head of the Asian Women Fund. The shocking involvements involve are the following.

-Issuing passports to comfort women, verifying their age. -Order for weekly medical examination by military doctors to check for VD with hundreds of reports summarizing the results. -Order to carefully screen the operators for some are recruiting underage girls under false pretenses. -Supply orders for "condomns" because the local area did not have them. -Setting up price and working hours -Warnings not to use brothels set up by locals for it appears that they are growing in spurts due to presence of IJA soldiers and therefore, hasn't complied with the regulations (VD screening, age, how they were recruited, etc.) -Warning to soldiers to pay the prepaid ticket before the actual service for it was reported by operators that some have skipped paying. -Reports of fighting among IJA soldiers because of their affection towards a particlar comfort woman. -Advisement to the soldier to pay for the property damage incurred at the brothel to the operator.

And of course, there are documents/reports issued by Allieds when IJA surrendered which includes shocking documents. For instance,

Rabaul

-Women between ages 20~25, the fee is 2.5 yen which includes condomns. The drinks are quite expensive. -Operation hours between 8 am~6pm. However, certain upper class military can stay overnight at a price. -Women can refuse service if the customer does not use condomn.

Burma

-According the Korean operator there, his restaurant business wasn't doing to well so he decided to operate the comfort station. -He recruited women from ages 19 to 31 paying in advance from 300 yen~1000 yen per woman. -In his operation, his women earned between 300 yen~1,500 yen a month of which a minimum of 150 yen per month was collected by the operator from each women.

http://www.awf.or.jp/pdf/0051_5.pdf

Have the courtesy to click and review the link above for it is what Murayama (pro comfort women supporter) did for the remainder of his political career.

In regards to the Kono Statement issued in 1993,

The deputy chief cabinet secretary at the time was Ishihara Nobuo. He later explained the process through which the document was created:

“South Korea kept pressing for the inclusion of the word ‘coercion’ in the Kono Declaration, while unofficially, they told us they would not demand individual compensation because it would create problems for the honor of the individual women… It was our expectation that if Japan recognized that there had been coercion, the South Koreans might ‘lay down their arms’. We informed the Koreans that we would recognize coercion before the declaration was made public.”

He added:

“There were no records proving coercion, so we decided to include the part about coercion as an overall judgment based on the testimony of the comfort women.”

http://ampontan.wordpress.com/2012/08/23/you-go-first-part-two-of-two/

So what this right wing nationalist Hashimoto is asking for is a simple question regarding the surving comfort women especially from Korea. Where is it?

-7 ( +7 / -14 )

This is clearly shows the difference how Japan and Germany face their history.

If anyone in Germany denies the atrocities and crimes committed by the Nazis, he/she would be ridiculated and removed of public office and maybe even charged.

But in Japan, the same will get popular support and continue to get elected into office by the public.

It is a shame.

10 ( +14 / -4 )

This is clearly shows the difference how Japan and Germany face their history.

Another lame comparison.

At least ukguyjp posted a response to Hashimoto. I applaud him/her for this. For others, a simple deflection and a lame comparison.

-11 ( +7 / -18 )

To all the JTer's who say Japan has ""apologised"" upteen times, yeah right, I give you hashimoto as a crystal clear example of why Japan is where it is today, a country seen as utter insincere when it comes to its history & many of you wonder why Japan is facing so many problems with its neighbours, well read the blurb again & learn.

Japan's future still heading south at alarming speed, what a waste

10 ( +14 / -4 )

I also find it very pathetic when fools like hashimoto demand that single piece of 81/2 x 11 paper that proves it all, its so incredibly lame

3 ( +7 / -4 )

nigelboy: good information on this sad affair.

As if this weren't bad enough, the Japanese authorities also set up brothesl for the use of American G.I.s at the conclusion of the war: "Sadly, we police had to set up sexual comfort stations for the occupation troops." - official history of the Ibaraki Prefectural Police Department.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

GW

Is your country free of any lawmakers, state officials, governors, and mayors who disagrees with apologies from leaders, congress resoltuions and reparations?

When it comes to U.S., there aren't many apologies to begin with but I assure you that you are not "free" from criticism by those individuals mentioned above.

-10 ( +5 / -15 )

Ignore him. He is just a shallow self centered attention whore. He will say anything to get some attention.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Nigelboy,

There are idiots EVERYWHERE but most of the time you will notice when an idiot outside Japan says something stupid THEY PAY A PRICE! The are forced to apologise, resign, get OUT of politics.

Pls now tell me what happens in Japan..........................if this idiot was from my country he wud have been tossed on the scrap heap of idiots, NOT on the verge of starting a political party

Notice the difference! Just watch that idiot Akin in the US he will soon quit, unlike these isles

5 ( +9 / -4 )

AHAHAHA at the level of politics in Japan... Well, it would be funny if it weren't so damn depressing.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

I mean really, how do these people even get elected as mayors and prime ministers in Japan? Japan has got to be one of the craziest countries in the world. A so called "advanced nation". More like a 3rd world country with 3rd world politics.

If a German politician denied Nazi atrocities then he would be kicked out immediately. Japan... seriously.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

This is an excuse to bah Korea and it shows that the man is a racist. Korea is not the only country involved in this matter but he singles them out. Yes, they make the most noise about it but this man has shown his true colours, i hope the world is watching.

I doubt that Hashimoto even knows that fact. He probably thinks that like most Japanese right-wingers, this is about Japan vs. Korea.

If he said that outside of Japan then would be lucky not be beaten or stoned to death.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

The establishment of brothels for the use of Japanese military personnel was official army policy. According to historian Yvonne Park Hsu, Imperial Ordinance No. 519 in 1944 established legal grounds for the recruitment of comfort women. In his memoirs even former Prime Minister Nakasone writes that he personally authorised the construction of a comfort station for his Naval Corps personnel in Borneo.

None of that is relevant to questions of force or coercion.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

There is no reason why, even if there was no such evidence, to positively assert that these women were not forced by the military, other than to spite Korea, which is a terribly immature and childish thing to do. He does not even entertain the idea that there may have been sex slaves used by the Japanese military. This just shows the level of the maturity of this childish, petty, inane, insensitive man who is supposedly a great leader of Japan. It also shows the level of maturity of the Japanese population in general. Japan is still a country which acts like a spoiled child, which can not even come face to face and be honest with its own country's pasts.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

how do these people even get elected as mayors and prime ministers in Japan?

By making statements like this. They are the best way to get votes

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Countdown continues. Only ukguyjp offered to challenge Hashimoto.

-9 ( +4 / -13 )

Countdown continues. Only ukguyjp offered to challenge Hashimoto.

You don't actually think that people take Hashimoto seriously, do you?

People take Hashimoto seriously? Only in Japan... This is the guy that tried to ban people with tattoos.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

MORE THAN 200,000 WOMEN AND GIRLS WHO WERE ABDUCTED BY THE ARMED FORCES OF THE GOVERNMENT OF IMPERIAL JAPAN. 1930's - 1945

With all due respect Thomas, this is what the Korean government's accusation which is also displayed in N J.

Your comment

There is no reason why, even if there was no such evidence, to positively assert that these women were not forced by the military

-6 ( +7 / -13 )

nigelboy, I'm not say that there is no evidence, because there clearly is. I'm saying that even if there were not, it's a stupid thing for him to say.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Thomas,

If your answer is "There is no reason why, even if there was no such evidence, to positively assert that these women were not forced by the military", then you simply exposed yourself as a successful product of their campaigning.

At least have the courtesy to read former PM Murayama's last work linked above where he dedicates rest of hus policsl career to help the comfort women.

-7 ( +5 / -12 )

Thomas,

Are you saying that you have evidence to support

THE MORE THAN 200,000 WOMEN AND GIRLS WHO WERE ABDUCTED BY THE ARMED FORCES OF THE GOVERNMENT OF IMPERIAL JAPAN. 1930's - 1945???

-8 ( +5 / -13 )

As if this weren't bad enough, the Japanese authorities also set up brothesl for the use of American G.I.s at the conclusion of the war: "Sadly, we police had to set up sexual comfort stations for the occupation troops."

ukguyjp,

Yep Japan even forced THEIR own women to be sex slaves but not only to the yanks, they did so well before they the war ended.

Thats the kind of country Japan was, a country that wud even force its own women to have sex with its military, how messed up is that, my heart goes out to those Japanese women whose lives were ruined by their own, pretty sick stuff! And the country wont even apologise to them, for bloody shame!

1 ( +4 / -3 )

This guy AGAIN ! ? !

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I also agree with zichi - I was hoping he'd turn out to be different. He had some good ideas (performance-related pay for public employees for example). Even the tattoos thing - if he had rephrased the rule to ban those with yakuza links, I'd be for it. This just looks like he had a meltdown though.

The most charitable inference I can think of is that with all of the jingoism regarding the various disputed islands, he decided to say the first thing that came into his head to hurt South Korea. The alternatives are much more disturbing.

Am I missing something when I read nigelboy's PDF link - it clearly said that many comfort women were tricked into serving, and were not aware of what they were volunteering for...? They were tricked into sexual slavery. It's there in black and white!

1 ( +4 / -3 )

@dragsby

He said the first thing he could think of that would put him in the limelight and increase his popularity with the dingbats who voted for him first time around.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Am I missing something when I read nigelboy's PDF link - it clearly said that many comfort women were tricked into serving, and were not aware of what they were volunteering for...? They were tricked into sexual slavery. It's there in black and white!

I think he was trying to say that 200,000 weren't ALL forced into doing it.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I don't like Hashimoto, but I agree with him on this matter. Prof. Byeong-jik Ahn of Seoul National University who led the research on Korean comfort women and supervised the (1993) publication of their testimonies declared publicly in 2006 that there is no evidence that the Japanese government/military was forcibly mobilizing comfort women. Prostitution was legal, there were plenty of business establishments, people were poor, and there were many girls sold for prostitution, especially in northeastern part of Japan and Korean Peninsula.

Abundant evidence shows that Korean women were swindled, kidnapped, or sold by Korean brokers. Abundant evidence also shows that the Japanese authority kept a watchful eye on illegal human trafficking and arresting illegal traffickers.

Why did a total of 802,147 Korean men, fighting the odds of less than 2.2% acceptance rate, enthusiastically, and some of them repeatedly, try to enlist in the Japanese military from 1938 to 1943 if the Japanese military was mobilizing their 200,000 sisters and making them sex slaves? To F*** their own sisters? The majority of the police force in Korea was Korean. What were they doing?

Japan should stop using "broader sense of coercion" to include "poverty" and "against one's will." It's been so insincere and hypocritical. Japan should be brutally honest, like Hashimoto!

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

Evidence of coercion? I wonder what specifically the wingnuts want to see. Handcuffs? Chains? Whips? LOL.

When they say "records of coercion," I take it they mean Japanese records, as foreign records would naturally be untrustworthy, unless vetting by a Japanese person or official Japanese organization. And you can bet the Japanese records were basically destroyed by the Japanese around war's end. And so on and on we go, with them citing a "lack of evidence."

Gotta hand to it to the Japanese; they're masters of obfuscation.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Those who believe that comfort women were drafted by the Japanese military must read Chunghee Sarah Soh's (2009) book "The Comfort Women" and LEARN that Japan had no policy to coerce women into prostitution:

in the case of Yi Yong-su and Kim Kun-ja,their original published testimonial narratives told very different stories from the current, paradigmatically established image of all former comfort women having been drafted by the Japanese military (p,101) ... the survivors present[ed] dramatically untruthful versions of their recruitment when they were placed under a spotlight of the political stages of the United States and Japan (p. 102).

Basically, Prof. Soh is saying those former comfort women have lied. Testimonies are not evidence. There is no evidence for coercion by the Japanese government or military.

It's hypocritical of Korea not to do anything about her present-day comfort women who are swindled and coerced into prostitution by Koreans, and arrested by police all over the world.

-3 ( +3 / -5 )

Ji Man-Won (지만원), a retired South Korean military officer and author caused controversy in Korea and internationally with his view. Ji has praised Japan for "modernizing" Korea, and has said "only around 20 percent of the Korean women who sexually served the Japanese military personnel were forced, while the remaining 80 percent volunteered in order to make money

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Oh wait I thought Japan already apologized for all this already??? Oh wait we're still denying this???? Oh ok. We already apologized so shut up Korea and by the way we never did that stuff and you can't prove it!!! Nippon Ganbare!!!

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

It is simply not true that 200,000 women were captured by Japanese soldiers and forced to become comfort women.

Nobody can argue that.

"There is no evidence that people called comfort women were taken away by force or threat by the Japanese military. If three is such evidence, South Korea should provide it."

But what would Hashimoto call evidence? And what does he know of the life of the comfort women? Does he think they were only South Korean? Does he think that once people became comfort women they were free to leave, and not mistreated? Has he not read any of the testimony of women from not only South Korea?

If this man's new party does well in the next election, we are in real trouble.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

South Korea has behaved appallingly of late, but Hashimoto is truly pathetic. Some of his called-for evidence is coming straight from the mouths of the women themselves.

Admitting this evidence is separate from the issue of paying compensation. Compensation was paid to South Korea in the 1960s for distribution to all the victims of Japan's aggression, along with an apology. It's not Japan's fault that South Korea spent the money on other things like bridges and highways. And South Korea cannot deny that it didn't know of these victims at the time.

So he doesn't need to come out with this at all. He only needs to say compensation was agreed on and received by South Korea 40 years ago and the matter has been closed ever since.

I hope another scandal has the effect of bringing him down soon.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Hashimoto knows that making a statement like that will boost his popularity. Simple. He's a rat.

I don't think that the Japanese govt, needs to give money to comfort women now. Neither do I think there is anything to be gained by women of other countries demanding it either.

Some things need to be remembered. Firstly, many women volunteered to be comfort women knowing what the job was. That included women who were already prostitutes from various countries - of course including Japan. And some women who were comfort women were happy to remain as such and some worked in good conditions. (These are simple facts, and if people don't recognize them, you play right into the hand of Japanese right-wingers who act like high priced lawyers knowing that their client is guilty, but attacking and doing everything to help their client).

Secondly, by far the majority of comfort women were not forcibly recruited by Japanese military directly, but rather through the private businessmen. And yes, I consider them to be scum. It also needs to be remembered when right wingers deny that widespread rape took place, that one of the main reasons for the whole comfort woman system was to cope with the problem of the rape of local women.

It's also true that many women were willingly "sold" to the private contractors by their own parents. That was also the case for some Japanese women who may have been sold to a brothel before the war. The brothel then supplied women to the military. But Japanese women were usually treated better than Chinese and Koreans, ending up serving officers.

But it needs to be remembered that once most women became comfort women they were effectively slaves. If they wanted to be free they'd have to pay back money (the brokerage free, and the fees for accommodation etc). And that wasn't something that could be paid off quickly. Also remember that Koreans and Chinese were used in places closer to fighting and so just deciding to leave and go home wasn't an option.

So, it's right to use the term "sex slave" in many but NOT ALL cases.

To my knowledge, (and I can't produce a document off the top of my head) and based on multiple testimonies, women weren't in a position to choose when to not work. There are so many testimonies of women being raped, beaten, eyewitness accounts of being killed. Some had to have sex with the very doctors in charge of examining them)

It's probably true that as the rightwingers will say that there is no historical document stating explicitly an order for Japanese military to capture and enslave women. And yes, there are official documents showing requirements for medical checks and the orderly running of the stations.

But anyone who has researched the issue and read the testimonies of not only South Koreans, but Japanese, Dutch, Philipino women and their handlers that many comfort women endured the unthinkable. Truly appalling. Personally, I can't read about their experiences without feeling anger, shame and depression. If the Japanese won't apologize, it makes me feel like apologizing on behalf of males!

But here is what I don't understand about Japanese. Given the rapes, killing of civilians, brutal treatment of POWS, massacres, Unit 731 etc that took place throughout Asia-Pacific how can they continue to make statements without contrition? If Hashimoto is going to say that he doesn't think Japan has to pay compensation, and that there was no organized official coercive procurement, wouldn't the decent thing be to begin with acknowledging the suffering inflicted by his country? They just don't get it!

Nigelboy, have you actually read about what went on in comfort stations, in POW camps, in Singapore, HK, Manilla etc, in Unit 731? How does it make you feel? Seriously.

And as others have said, people say that Japan has apologized, but it all gets undone every time a politician of Hashimoto's stature and popularity makes a statement like that. This should have all been sorted out decades ago.

How absurd that Hashimoto comes out with stuff like that, and most times I go into Tokyo there are men playing war songs from trucks. Seriously, how insane is that? What kind of country is it where any day of the week people are blaring out world war two music? Especially....dare I say it.....when THEY LOST THE WAR!? Grow up Japan. You right wingers love to talk about Koreans being uncivil and prone to outbursts - but how do you think you look to the world? It used to be laughable, and just a little sad. But now it's getting scary.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

By the way, I don't think people need to worry about minus points here. Right wingers are out in force whenever issues like this come up.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I think the vast majority of SK's and Japanese are hoping their Politicians would just shut up. But 'hope' may not do the trick. They need to silence these guys by voting them out quickly in order to show what the majority actually think and feel.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Nigelboy, have you actually read about what went on in comfort stations, in POW camps, in Singapore, HK, Manilla etc, in Unit 731? How does it make you feel? Seriously.

Yasukuni. The source materials from SEATIC,ATIS, and US War Information Office are linked above already. I find these to be very credible because these are reporots by the Allieds during the capture/surrender of Japanese forces. I roughly described the report on my post stamped Aug. 24, 2012 - 10:06AM JST

Bear in mind that we agree on many of what you described the comfort women system were except of course, the accusation that "200,000 were abducted by Japanese forces". As for the testimonies, they are merely accusations unless their is a collaborating evidence to support it. For example, if she was kidnapped from her family, where is the police report by the relatives?(Police force at that time was majority Korean) There are many articles relating kidnapping attempt by Korean brokers during that time.

http://14819219.at.webry.info/201207/article_2.html

As Pinkgold indicated on his post, Prof. Byeong-jik Ahn of Seoul National University spent three years investigating the testimonies of the surving comfort women. Of the 40 or so, he concluded that most of their testimonies were unreliable and confirmed only two were "forced" but not from the IJA. He quit after three years because he felt that this organization wasn't interested in finding out the true nature of the comfort women system but their motive was to pick a fight with Japan.

In summary, what you described (recruitment by unscrupulous brokers, sold by family members, economic hardships) is what is going on today. My only beef is why is so much attention going to them as opposed to what is going on now?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

yasukuni To my knowledge, (and I can't produce a document off the top of my head) and based on multiple testimonies, women weren't in a position to choose when to not work. There are so many testimonies of women being raped, beaten, eyewitness accounts of being killed. Some had to have sex with the very doctors in charge of examining them)

In other words you are simply guessing or repeating hearsay my friend.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

So, Hashimoto has proven he is more of a politician than a diplomat? And we're surprised based on his actions to date? Glad we clarified that. Not going to touch the 'who has the least bullshoot argument' going on in the rest of the thread, though I did read the ampontan link via nigelboy.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

GW: Yes, Lu Chuan deals with this issue in "City of Life and Death," his powerful movie about the Nanjing massacre. Yes it's a dramatic interpretation of those events, but it does depict japanese women used as prostitutes for the use of Japanese troops.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Just three YouTube clips offering evidence of women coerced into sex slavery....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-UwU1-RVWs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qPGutAPCBw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQXEcu7Ef_U

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I'm pretty surprised to hear some posters suggest that women weren't coerced by the Japanese. There is surely no doubt, for instance, that Portuguese women were forced into sexual slavery in the former Dutch East Indies.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

ukguyjp

With all due respect, testimony is means nothing when they are not collaborated nor cross examined by the other party.

I'm not interested in playing word games with you but based on the Asian Women Fund evidence I linked above, can you honestly say that "MORE THAN 200,000 WOMEN AND GIRLS WHO WERE ABDUCTED BY THE ARMED FORCES OF THE GOVERNMENT OF IMPERIAL JAPAN. 1930's - 1945"? The evidence that Murayama found was that the military wanted to prohibit such practices especially from operators. It shows that they wanted to regulate the hours and pays of these women. Age verification, weekly health check ups, management of operation hours, etc. Remember. Prostitution was legal at that time and the only body that could regulate these policies were the military.

Another issue that puzzles me to this day is when Japan surrendered in 1945, both Korea and Japan worked on to negotiate a normalization treaty. The minutes of the meetings exceed several hundred thousand of pages but none of them, especially the Korean counterparts addressed the issue of comfort women. Doesn't this surprise you? you'd figure that if IJA was complicit in kidnapping and coersion, you'd have at least a mention of such wrongful act, don't you? How about the post war investigation held by the Allieds? As you mentioned about POW, many were executed as a result of violation of crimes. Where is the comfort women? The only case is the Dutch case where the military recruited women forcibily. But this action was not only punished by the top of the IJA when it was discovered that this was going on, the people that were involved were executed.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

In the eyes of court, Korea has to prove it, not Japan.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto must be reading the revised history text edition made in Japan historians.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Comfort Women, Military Prostitution and Human Trafficking The need for a perspective shift in Japan and Korea Gavan Gray, Ritsumeikan University

The clash between Japan and South Korea over redress for former ‘comfort women’ is a key element preventing stronger ties between the two neighbours. The issue has also diverted attention from the larger problem of human-trafficking that plagues both countries. In recent years understanding of the issue has been broadened by Asian scholars who have moved beyond the version that was dominant in the early 1990s. In the West however, perceptions remain as they were twenty years ago, repeating as fact elements that have been brought into question or utterly disproven. This inaccurate portrayal by Western media and governments has compromised resolution of the issue in Asia and failed to acknowledge widespread use of equivalent systems of prostitution by both South Korea and the USA. The reason Japan was so specifically targeted lies in a timely convergence of feminism, Korean nationalism and latent anti-Japanese racism. Acting to exaggerate the cruelty of Japan’s system while ignoring those of other nations, these factors prevented Japan and South Korea from developing a new perspective on the issue that would allow stronger ties between the two and refocus the campaign to end exploitation of Asian women.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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