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U.N. commissioner urges Abe to meet 'comfort women'

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"Urges"? I suppose that is the best he can do. Well maybe he could get Obama on the line and "order" him to meet them?

-1 ( +8 / -9 )

U.N. commissioner urges Abe to meet 'comfort women' -

No comments from JT readers? yes, because they know Abe will ignore this U.N. call.

3 ( +9 / -5 )

I predict he will ignore it. I hope that I am wrong.

13 ( +17 / -4 )

Now people are focusing on the war crimes of Japan. If all the war crimes in histories must be put on the talbe, there will be endless arguments and it will not bring much goodness. We (Japanese) also have a lot in stock to present.

-16 ( +8 / -26 )

Only the victims can decide “whether enough has been done”. No better way to state this!

6 ( +14 / -8 )

WOW .. You mean the the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights actually exists??? I actually thought the United Nations actually went into hiding when any work actually needed to be done. The UNited Nations has become a complete farce and one of the single largest waste's of money in the world. Where are they in the Ukraine/Russia conflict, the genocide Israel is committing in Gaz, the messes in Nigeria and Zimbabwe, the ISIS problem, the worldwide refugee crisis??? The UN has become the single largest dysfunctional organisation in the world. I would be ashamed to have anything to do with them.

And as far as "making an emotional plea for victims of Japan’s wartime sex slavery" goes, where has the UN been on this for the last 70 years?

4 ( +12 / -8 )

And as far as "making an emotional plea for victims of Japan’s wartime sex slavery" goes, where has the UN been on this for the last 70 years?

Now there's a South Korean in charge. Before then, nobody cared. Even now, like you say, low hanging fruit.

-12 ( +9 / -21 )

So Park is essentially ignoring the 1965 agreement signed by both parties.

If so, then she should give back the money with interest, and they can start from scratch. Talking about milking the cow.

I cannot wait until 7-8 years from now. It will be over.

-6 ( +13 / -19 )

Japan apologized and paid already. stop living in the past and move on already!

-3 ( +17 / -20 )

Exporting is usually more feasible when transportation costs are large rather than small in relation to production costs.

Oh, I see. That is why the revisionism of the Abe government continues on and on and on. Why would Abe meet with people that did not exist according to his warped history. Germany has addressed its past and the world has moved on, Japan has not and so Japan continues to look tone deaf and foolish on this matter.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

Yes, this!

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

I consider the matter closed with Korea, but what of the Netherlands? Have any apologies or reperations been made to those victims?

-12 ( +4 / -16 )

This would be settled if Abe would only stop indulging the militant far-right who keep trying to unsettle it.

11 ( +15 / -4 )

what of the Netherlands?

with one or two testimonies?

-18 ( +2 / -20 )

The fund compensated to the comfort women from Korea, Taiwan, Philippine, Indonesia, and Netherland.

http://japan.kantei.go.jp/96_abe/documents/2014/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2014/06/20/JPN_ROK_EXCHANGE.pdf

Any other countries except for Japan paid no compensation to the sex slaves.

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

I am wondering if the term "conform women" was used by the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Any other countries except for Japan paid no compensation to the sex slaves.

I think this is trying to say "No countries other than Japan paid compensation to the sex slaves". If it is, the statement is incorrect, as Japan didn't pay compensation to the sex slaves either.

3 ( +10 / -7 )

This is nothing having to do with human rights or whatsoever, but a part of harrassment Koreans are trying to inflict upon Japan.

False Accusations of Comfort Women http://www.howitzer.jp/korea/page03.html

-10 ( +9 / -19 )

U.N. commissioner urges Abe to meet 'comfort women'

Is there some reason, Japan Today, why you can't use the term "sex slaves"? Do you fear right-wing retribution or something? By using that term, you are validating what all the revisionists are saying - that all these women - abducted from multiple countries - were common prostititues. Shame on you. Mr Abe would do well to meet with the....sex slaves survivors. One wonders whether he has the stomach for it

3 ( +11 / -7 )

The link I posted is unavailable. You can find the file from the site of Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet.

The search word is 'comfort woman'. The file's name is 'Details of Exchanges Between Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) Regarding the Comfort Women Issue ~ From the Drafting of the Kono Statement to the Asian Women’s Fund ~'.

http://japan.kantei.go.jp/index.html

-6 ( +3 / -10 )

While it is true Japan signed an agreement in 65 & paid some $ & made a LOT of LOANS, not all that money was one way!

And yes the Korean govt of the time SCREWED it up, all common knowledge.

Before & since 1965 Japan's sincerity have been SEVERELY lacking to say the least, Japan hope it could simply BUY OFF those it inflicted atrocities on...........fast forward, aint working to well!

The whole problem is Japan wont admit the sex slave issue, along with a whole bunch more. The right wingers here constantly spout this & that NEVER happened & the media & the silence by the country make Japan look totally rotten!

Personally I don't think Japan needs to pay any more $$, just calmly admit the truth & when some idiots speak out BS they get shouted down & pointed out they are INCORRECT!

Japan show some sincerity, point out the errors of the right winger nut jobs. this is SO EASY to do & yet Japans foolish pride makes it look so bad, ignorant & unrepentant .

Japan DO THE RIGHT thing before the last of these elderly women die, show some SPINE & some SINCERITY it will do Japan a WORLD OF GOOD!!

Or not & continue to ROT!

9 ( +11 / -2 )

Why wold Abe go to meet tht which does not exist (in his mind).?

8 ( +11 / -3 )

This is becoming such a regular occurrence. Doesn't Abe feel any embarrassment?

8 ( +12 / -4 )

Like I've always said. UN is a joke

-12 ( +6 / -19 )

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe must sit down with the women so they have a chance to “communicate their feelings”, he said, adding that only the victims can decide “whether enough has been done”.

Unfortuantely, nothing bit wishful thinking. First off, meeting with them would legitimize their position and allow the whole world to see the actual victims of Japanese atrocities, which Abe could never allow to happen. I mean consider the difference between Germany and Japan when it comes to their victims. After the war, the horror of the concentration camps was displayed for the whole world to see, and, the holocaust has been kept in people's psyche's through movies like Schlinder's List. But nothing similar occurred with respect to Japan and its victims. And Abe is not about to allow it to. If for no other reason than the backlash he would receive at home from the right-wing base of the LDP. Plus, meeting with the victims would require real moral strength and leadership on behald of both Abe, and Japan itself. And neither have displayed that trait in many years regarding the country's history.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

Of all the organizations U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein has managed to 'hollow out' South Korean former 'comfort woman' Kim Bok-Dong cause.

More than a whiff of being more in interested in 'playing to the gallery' than combating or influencing effective human rights abuse. The human rights issues surrounding the recognition of 'comfort women' are contained within the unequivocal apology of the landmark Kono Statement.

Jordanian by decent Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al-Hussein has pointed refused to criticise Qatar's governments blatant systematic human rights abuses.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights made no reference or acknowledgement on the 26th Anniversary of Tiananmen Square when the Government of China brutally slaughtered students peaceful demonstration for democratic government, choosing to remain silent in case of offending the current Government of China.

Likewise Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al-Hussein won't take part in any meaningful debate with regard to the major topic into the development a democratically elected government in Hong Kong. Neither will the Prince challenge at any level the Russian governments annexing of Eastern Ukraine and the civilian casualties. The post and function of 'U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights' is in danger of descending into utter irrelevance.

There little doubt and genuine concerns that members of the current LDP government hold and harbor revisionist views and need to search their consciences. To hear the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights smugly pontificating is very irritating and unwarranted.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Then why does Japan seek Security Council membership?

Exactly. Coming to terms with its past, properly, might facilitate membership. Hmm.....there's a thought Japan

11 ( +14 / -3 )

It is not possible to take a re-conciliatory approach with someone who denies his own guilt and insists he did nothing wrong, and this is the problem that the rest of Asia has to deal with Japan. This is not the case of Japan's neighbors refusing to forgive Japan's atonement, but the case of Japan denying its guilt.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

I find it quite rich that Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein pontificates about human rights, while his own country, Jordan, has refused to sign the UN declaration on universal human rights.

He really should direct his interest to matters closer to home. But I suppose political considerations trump logic in the UN.

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

He really should direct his interest to matters closer to home. But I suppose political considerations trump logic in the UN.

Not really. This is a pressing issue

5 ( +9 / -3 )

The UN should put Bill Clinton together with Abe for a few days and you'd have some sort of diplomatic explanation like "well it wasn't really sex in the correct sense of the word". Followed by " well why should we have to pay for something that didn't really happen?"

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Abe is likely the last Japanese prime minister with the opportunity to meet any of the women who were abused by the Japanese Imperial Army.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

U.N. commissioner urges Abe to meet 'comfort women'

What is the use! They are already very old and not really comforting anymore! Causing all sorts of monitory demands!

-11 ( +1 / -12 )

Serrano, Do you think there are no war victims in Japan? There are many war victims who are suffering and dying every year without any apology or compensation. At least there comfort women received those several times.

-11 ( +2 / -12 )

sandhonour: "This is becoming such a regular occurrence. Doesn't Abe feel any embarrassment?"

No, because as you can see by the comments on here even by some posters it's all the more reason for defensive and angry denials, and they even claim you are ATTACKING them, with some posters going so far as to say "You don't know how much you are hurting the Japanese people with this constant criticism", etc., as though THEY are the victims!!

Until last month they could just blame South Korea and pretend no one else was voicing their opinions on the matter. As of last last month, with Dutch, English, and other women who were victims and giving documented proof and testimony they were kidnapped and raped by IJA soldiers and forced to be sex-slaves, as well as professionals and historians world-wide, including IN JAPAN demanding Abe reiterate past apologies and address the issue honestly, and so now they can only be defensive and get angry. Well, okay, to be fair some suggest that South Koreans are paying the international bodies and professionals to become "anti-Japan".

So, does he feel any shame? not at all, in fact people like Abe would suggest YOU be ashamed for 'picking on Japan' and not 'moving on from regrettable incidents', etc.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

@smith.... couldn't possibly be put it any more clearer than that. .

6 ( +8 / -2 )

To those arguing that Korea and the rest of East Asia should move on, as everything was settled in a 1965 agreement, what you fail to understand, is that unlike Germany with WWII, or even Great Britain with the misery caused during the expansion of the British Empire; the Japanese state keeps retracting/revising apologies, and generally trying to look as favourable as they can make themselves to be - i.e., showing little to no remorse for what occurred during the war. It's like a child being reprimanded, and instead of acknowledging fault, learning from it, and moving on, they come out screaming with "But he did it to me too/I didn't do anything wrong/She's exaggerating!" - which in turn only draws out the issue, making them look unrepentant!

In trying to save face, Japan is no-longer appearing like a victim of WWII (hiroshima and nagasaki) to those with little to no knowledge of what transpired in the pacific theater (i.e., almost everyone outside East Asia because you don't learn about it in school), and is actually starting to look like the aggressor it was. Japan's stubborness in acknowledging suffering caused is only drawing attention to itself and its past, to those that don't know much about modern East Asian history =/

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Serrano, Do you think there are no war victims in Japan? There are many war victims who are suffering and dying every year without any apology or compensation. At least there comfort women received those several times

tinawatanabe

You are CORRECT, maybe they should ask their govt WHY they wont recognize the suffering & DEATH the J-govt & IJA caused to all those Japanese! I am sure I am not the only one who wants to know.

Clearly the J-govt CANT even apologize to its own people(especially in Okinawa!) so I guess we cant expect(& clearly DONT) much in the way of sincerity for the 10s or millions killed & traumatized outside Japan now can we!

5 ( +6 / -1 )

zichi, there are many Japanese civilians who survived but severely injured by US air raids. They received no apology or money from anybody. They never demanded such things, just enduring.

-13 ( +3 / -15 )

zichi, I'm just talking about the fact that many Japanese victims are not receiving anything from the government. Those comfort women were Japanese at that time. It is not fair only they keep demanding money and compensation.

-14 ( +2 / -15 )

@roughneck

U.N. commissioner urges Abe to meet 'comfort women'

What is the use! They are already very old and not really comforting anymore!

Would you feel the same way if one of your relatives were concerned ?

4 ( +5 / -1 )

why would Abe want to visit women he thinks never existed!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I think UN will never ask Abe to meet Japanese victims in Japan by Japan's atrocity.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

tinawatanabe: "zichi, I'm just talking about the fact that many Japanese victims are not receiving anything from the government. Those comfort women were Japanese at that time. It is not fair only they keep demanding money and compensation."

It is indeed sickening that the government does not acknowledge that it even forced Japanese women into sexual slavery, one of whom later wrote a book about it (but keeps anonymous because of persecution by right wingers), that the government murdered many Okinawans and FORCED suicides, like at the Itoman cliffs. If they don't compensate them for it, that is yet another crime for the Japanese government, no? So why do you take that out on South Koreans, Chinese, Dutch, Americans, or otherwise who have EVERY right to demand a genuine apology and/or monetary compensation? And in any case zichi absolutely proved you 100% wrong with your general claims about how Japan does/doesn't do this, and only South Korea does. So, you can never again claim only South Korean victims demand or have received compensation, can you?

And don't say, "What I meant was...." because you clearly said what you meant, and were dead wrong.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

The ianfu were not actually kidnapped or forced. They were recruited to work in the wartime ejaculation industry and then once at work servicing ten guys a nigh...things got out of hand. Abe needs to face the evidence.

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

A suggestion, maybe a revisit to, let call it the 'Murayama' initiative....

Statement by Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama on the "Peace, Friendship, and Exchange Initiative" ......(August 31, 1994)....

http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/press/pm/murayama/state9408.html

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Japan already made reperations in the form of payment with the 1965 treaty. South Korea has promised not to demand anymore money from Japan. But S Korea spent that money already, without giving much to the victims. The people of S Korea seem to think their government should pay up, but we all kbow they wont. So now the victims appeal to the UN... and the UN, with their heads up the backend as usual, are going after Japan for a public apology instead of going after S.Korea for not paying out reperations. Im pretty sure Japan paid out money instead of having to lose face and publicly apologize, but if they have to publicly apologize now and admit fault, itll have to take responsibility back into its own hands and pay AGAIN since S Korea squandered the reperations.

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

Japan already made reperations in the form of payment with the 1965 treaty. South Korea has promised not to demand anymore money from Japan. But S Korea spent that money already, without giving much to the victims. The people of S Korea seem to think their government should pay up, but we all kbow they wont. So now the victims appeal to the UN... and the UN, with their heads up the backend as usual, are going after Japan for a public apology instead of going after S.Korea for not paying out reperations. Im pretty sure Japan paid out money instead of having to lose face and publicly apologize, but if they have to publicly apologize now and admit fault, itll have to take responsibility back into its own hands and pay AGAIN since S Korea squandered the reperations.

Um, no. Nope. Not at all. As myself and other posters have said till we are blue in the face - the sex slaves are multinational. Japan's blood money is not being discussed here. No one cares a fig whether Japan paid this, apologised for that. Anything from a Japan has been worthless and frankly insulting. You do not apologise and give compensation with your left hand, then deny everything and rewrite the history books with your right. Japan has done nothing to shut up its revisionists - who have undone all the good work of Murayama and Kono. Mr Abe has one chance on August 15th to do the right thing by posterity. Settle Japan's ww2 affairs once and for all

4 ( +8 / -4 )

What is the motivation for it?

For wanting the girls who were kept as sex-slaves to have right done by them?

That should be self-evident.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

I agree with zicchi. Another full apology beside Abe meeting with Ianfu. who were sex slaves.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

2 Nicholas TeeJun. 26, 2015 - 08:09AM JST WOW .. You mean the the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights actually exists??? I actually thought the United Nations actually went into hiding when any work actually needed to be done. The UNited Nations has become a complete farce and one of the single largest waste's of money in the world. Where are they in the Ukraine/Russia conflict, the genocide Israel is committing in Gaz, the messes in Nigeria and Zimbabwe, the ISIS problem, the worldwide refugee crisis??? The UN has become the single largest dysfunctional organisation in the world. I would be ashamed to have anything to do with them. And as far as "making an emotional plea for victims of Japan’s wartime sex slavery" goes, where has the UN been on this for the last 70 years?

I cannot agree with you more.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Today's Japan and Japanese have no responsibility for the past.

Individual Japanese people don't, but Japan as a country does.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

@Schopenhauer I agree with you. Why the high commissioner doesn't start with the ugly history in his neighborhood and ask the Germans to meet with families of the Jews. This guy seems intent in justifying his salary. The past is the past. Move on.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

toshikoJun. 26, 2015 - 10:51PM JST I agree with zicchi. Another full apology beside Abe meeting with Ianfu. who were sex slaves

Then, UN itself should give full apology to Korean women who worked as Ianfu during the Korean War, and now suing their government. Because their main customers were US and UN soldiers, and they spent much more harsh days than Ianfu for Japanese soldiers during WWII, and this fact is supported by many evidences including the signature of President Pak Chung-hee, Pak Geun-hye's father, to approve the comfort house. The girls were sometimes sent to the brothels in drums as military supply. Many died due to bad care when the fell sick.

Why do UN and even Koreans ignore them?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitutes_in_South_Korea_for_the_U.S._military

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

And where's the apology to thousands of Japanese women raped by the American soldiers after the war?

The operative word is "after the war”, i.e.in times of peace???

And the hundreds of thousands of German women raped by the allied troopers? Don't they count?

Or it's only the poor Koreans that deserve sympathy and compensation???

Brits, French, Canadians, Australian, Russians, you name it. All of them had a go, nothing has happened to date.

Britain NEVER apologised to anybody for conquests and massacres.

Germany apologised, yet there's more open racism and intolerance over there, than there'll ever be in Japan.

A fair balance must be reached on this issue.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

None of which means it didn't really happen or it's okay to pretend it didn't.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

@virgo98JUN. 27, 2015 - 12:06AM JST toshikoJun. 26, 2015 - 10:51PM JST I agree with zicchi. Another full apology beside Abe meeting with Ianfu. who were sex slaves Then, UN itself should give full apology to Korean women who worked as Ianfu during the Korean War, and now suing their government. Because their main customers were US and UN soldiers, and they spent much more harsh days than Ianfu for Japanese soldiers during WWII, and this fact is supported by many evidences including the signature of President Pak Chung-hee, Pak Geun-hye's father, to approve the comfort house. The girls were sometimes sent to the brothels in drums as military supply. Many died due to bad care when the fell sick. Why do UN and even Koreans ignore them?

-'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Ask UN. Don;t ask me. Find Korean sex slave who did sex slaving action and find what kind of living quarters they had. Then find soldiers who lined up to be served.. Just find sex slaves and encourage them to appeal to UN.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

@VIRGO98: The people who demanded McGraw to change its US text did not know it was not only text book publisher in USA. They conjectured All textbooks were published for Entire USA schools. They could inquire each state or school districts before they talked to McGraw.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

@Virgo98: You wrote abou Korean war time Sex slave. You wrote Ianfu for USA and UN soldiers. Write How Lorean people said about own sex slave. Do you know Ianfu is a Japanese word? Write how they were called vy UN and USA soldiers or officials. It is not English or Korean language. I AN FU are 3 kanjis and each ketters have Japanese meanings. It is not English or Korean language.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

South Korean President Park Gyun-Hye's own father during WWII was an officer in the IJA, stationed in Manchuria. He made use of the Comfort Stations. When is SHE going to apologize for this? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Park_Japan.JPG

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Comfort woman bring Abe discomfort but not guilty feeling..

0 ( +3 / -3 )

^ that's the main problem in the Japanese society. They still don't understand what they did wrong. They forced thousands of innocent teen-girls and forced them to have sex with Japanese military. This is very unethical and Abe should have apologized a long time ago, but didn't. That's the problem. They should be apologizing until the former sex slaves or comfort women says it's enough!

1 ( +3 / -2 )

This case just proves that UN has no ability to research. We can see they do not confirm any clear evidence but just refer to oral testimonies that are full of contraditions.

Recently, three so-called comfort women died, two of them were 81 and 83. Just remember the WWII ended 70 years ago. This is a very ridiculous thing because there was the age limit for the comfort women, and some Korean parents took their daughters under 10 years old to the recruit center, and the recruiter got angry and turned them off. (I'm afraid the girls were sold to some other brokers with worse conditions after all.)

It is more likely that these women were comfort women during the Korean War.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

@vigo: There was no age limit for making girls postitute. Not in Japan either. Until Gen Mac directed to Japanese Govt, poor crop Tohoku farmers sold their daughters to Southern Japanese prostitute house as young as 5 years old. Military was not well with money so Military did not pay. Jist like Korean families shipped to Japan, they did not pay. Lucky men in Japan became laborersl Children Sons did door to door trash collectors. Trash were sold to trash collection area and their mothers were working as trash separaters. Metals and papers

81 and 83? They were too old Korean war time. ;

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

toshikoJun. 29, 2015 - 05:09AM JST @vigo: There was no age limit for making girls postitute. Not in Japan either. Until Gen Mac directed to Japanese Govt, poor crop Tohoku farmers sold their daughters to Southern Japanese prostitute house as young as 5 years old. Military was not well with money so Military did not pay. Jist like Korean families shipped to Japan, they did not pay. Lucky men in Japan became laborersl Children Sons did door to door trash collectors. Trash were sold to trash collection area and their mothers were working as trash separaters. Metals and papers. 81 and 83? They were too old Korean war time.

I assume you speak Japnese, or please use any on-line translation. (Althoug it is said the age limit was 17 in Korea instead of 18.)

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A8%BC%E5%A6%93%E5%8F%96%E7%B7%A0%E8%A6%8F%E5%89%87

The Korean War lasted for the period of 25 June, 1950 - 27 July, 1953. It means they were around 16 - 19 years old, really roughly speaking. And you say they were too old!?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Abe should stand up and say yes we are guilty but apology and compensation to the victims should materialized at the same time to prevent further decades of financial wrangling.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

zichiJun. 26, 2015 - 10:28PM JST

Japan should use the 70th anniversary of the end of war to issue a full apology for the wartime events so we can move into a new era of peace and cooperation.

Westerners naturally believe a full apology leads to peace and cooperation. Most Japanese think so, too.

But the belief is not universal. In certain culture, an apology leads to unforgiveness and perpetual revenge. In certain culture, forgiving is same as yielding to wrongfulness, and is itself wrongdoing.

What, would you say, Japan should do, if an apology would lead to increased animosity?

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Which culture would those be? Your hypothetical is irrelevant if none of the parties in question have that culture.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

In certain culture, an apology leads to unforgiveness and perpetual revenge.

Okay, you've got me interested. Which culture?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

@virfoL what yiu write was Shougi registration kaw. Women who want to become gaisha.and register to perform geisha business, Nothing to do with Sex xlave - baita and baijo

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@virgo: What you want mew to translate is regulation of Shougi business women, (Geisha business) Not sex sellers (baijo)

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

@toshiko

Use your dictionary. 娼妓 shogi includes the meaning of (a) licensed prostitute.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

@virgo98JUN. 29, 2015 - 01:30PM JST @toshiko

Use your dictionary. 娼妓 shogi includes the meaning of (a) licensed prostitute.

Go Yoshiwarara ub Tokyo or any former Yukaku or any Okiyas to find about this laws. Also refer Dai Nippon Hyakka jiten. In Japan, girls were sold by their oarents by hitokai who promised paremts that their daughters will be attending elementary schiool by buyers until Gen Mac told Japanese Govt to stop. Our city (southern( women went GHQ to appeal and we had classmares that were Yojo and had two last names. Tha was Japanese custom of Geisha for generations. Have you talked with former Yukaku owners and geisha?

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

@Christopher Glen

Um, no. Nope. Not at all. As myself and other posters have said till we are blue in the face - the sex slaves are multinational.

Just because you or other posters or entire Korean citizens don't like it, you cannot invalidate the legitimate mutual treaty. Korean gov didn't fully disclose the context of its treaty until 2005, so I see Korean people were deceived by Korean gov neglecting to mention about it while invoking "Comfort Women" dispute as a national agenda since early 1990s.

Japan's blood money is not being discussed here. No one cares a fig whether Japan paid this, apologised for that. Anything from a Japan has been worthless and frankly insulting.

Apparently, Comfort Women don't believe so.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/s-korean-comfort-women-to-file-20-mil-lawsuit-in-california

If they didn't care about money, they ought to have filed $1 lawsuit instead.

@zichi

Japan should use the 70th anniversary of the end of war to issue a full apology for the wartime events so we can move into a new era of peace and cooperation.

I'm sure every nations have their own dark side of history which you cannot be so proud of, and you shouldn't point at someone else as if you are white handed sacred figure. For instance, I don't recall neither Korea nor the U.S. gov apologize Vietnam for Vietnam War while constantly demanding Japan to apologize (I'm simply taking Vietnam War as an example because it happened much after WW2 ended). Don't get me wrong, it doesn't justify wrongdoings by IAJ during WW2 just because no other nations had apologized. What I'm saying is you cannot criticize Japan to whitewash a history while while you yourself are more or less whitewashing your history. Japan should apologize when Japan wants to apologize, not because other nations say so. Whatever apologies corresponding to others' demand always turn out to be useless, like Kono and Murayama Statement.

@Strangerland

Individual Japanese people don't, but Japan as a country does.

While a country is collective entity by individuals, this is pure nonsense. The Prime Minister of Japan is individual afterall, hence you cannot expect a "country" to persist in the same acknowledgement upon domestic and international affairs, except probably for a communism or dictatorship society with no freedom of speech and limited access to information under a complete cyber surveillance.

Which culture would those be? I would advice you to look up which country uphold "grudge" as a part of cultural spirit, so-called "Han".

@korealuv

that's the main problem in the Japanese society. They still don't understand what they did wrong. They forced thousands of innocent teen-girls and forced them to have sex with Japanese military. This is very unethical and Abe should have apologized a long time ago, but didn't. That's the problem. They should be apologizing until the former sex slaves or comfort women says it's enough!

There is no issue in Japanese society. Japan nor any other nations should never apologize (like how Kono and Murayama did) for unsubstantiated accusation until it's proven guilty. What we know as "Comfort Women" issue today does not go anywhere beyond "propaganda" as long as it continues to only rely on unsubstantiated testimonies, deny or ignore adverse evidence, and persist in using strawman argument.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Exactly

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

@zichi

Unlike Japan, European countries and America don't try to whitewash their past with revisionism and denials.

Where did you get this idea from?? As far as I rearched, there is no countries apologized nor compensated for the past time colonization. Has England apologized? Has France? I took a history class in the U.S. and I don't recall them eagerly teaching their dark side of history, nothing about slaughtering Native Americans, setting Confederate as a common enemy, totally justifying Vietnum War, and finally glorifying themselves as "the nation who never lost the war in the history" (I still remember because my Mexican friend was complaining about it). The revisionism is a pure natual course of behavior after finding new facts (with a luxuary of readily access to information via internet) contradicting what you had been taught throughout education under WGIP.

So countries like Germany apologized for their wartime past and teach the history in schools and outlawed denial.

You mean "Only Germany", not "countries like Germany". I haven't researched the content of German textbook, but I believe "outlawed denail" only applies to "Neo-Nazi activists". Japan never conducted a genocide against specific race (i.e. Holocaust, Khmer Rouge) so there is no "Neo-Nazi activists" figure in Japan whom Japanese can point a finger at as a scapegoat. As far as I'm concerned, I simply support what JP gov says, historical circumstances were much different therefore inappropriate to make a simple comparison.

http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/q_a/faq16.html#q10

Also here is a good bedtime reading for you. A bit old, but you can grasp an idea how Japanese and other four nations' textbook is constructed. Apparently, Japanese history textbook doesn't tell stories unlike others, just plain boring facts.

http://iis-db.stanford.edu/res/2260/Divided-Memory_In-house_2008.pdf

Japan has issued apologies and then try's to water them down.

If you really look into German commentaries by government officials, not just cherrypicking apologists' ones, you should soon realize German apologies or reparations are not as "perfect example" as you wish they are. Let me pick up a recent article. Quote: "Germany's economy minister branded Greece's demand for 278.7 billion euros in reparations from World War Two as "stupid" on Tuesday, while the German opposition said Berlin should repay a forced loan dating from the Nazi occupation."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/07/us-eurozone-greece-reparations-germany-idUSKBN0MY1JR20150407

He probably wouldn't choose the word "stuipid" if he is truly sorry for what they did, would he?

Even in your own comments you have denied the Imperialist past.

Can you please indicate which of my comment is denying Imperialist past? I'm 100% against "Comfort Women" accusation because of my good reason that I have been explaining here and there but I never denied Imperialist past. Please don't get mixed it up there.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

zichiJun. 30, 2015 - 10:38PM JST

Unlike Japan, European countries and America don't try to whitewash their past with revisionism and denials.

Japan does not.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

As far as I rearched, there is no countries apologized nor compensated for the past time colonization. Has England apologized? Has France? I took a history class in the U.S. and I don't recall them eagerly teaching their dark side of history, nothing about slaughtering Native Americans, setting Confederate as a common enemy, totally justifying Vietnum War,

Don't know what school you went to then, because I learned about all of this. Australia is very honest when it comes to its treatment of the Aborigines - and they got an official, sanctioned apology from the Australian government a few years ago. Can we say the same thing about the sex slaves? Um, no

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

@Christopher Glen

Don't know what school you went to then, because I learned about all of this.

Let's just say one private high school in Maryland. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of textbook since it was mid-90s. Please be specific how did you learn about the dark side of U.S. history in your history class? As far as I see on the net, I don't see much difference in terms of the context of textbook today as compared to the time I learned back then. One good thing about U.S. education was they allow students to debate on the certain topics, nurturing students to develp their own thoughts. There was a debate on whether "it was right action for the U.S. to drop atomic bombs toward the end of WW2" when I was in class.

Australia is very honest when it comes to its treatment of the Aborigines - and they got an official, sanctioned apology from the Australian government a few years ago.

Oh, now Australia, the country with 150yrs+ white supreme history where the foundation was based on slaughtering Aborigines. I consider multiple known massacres upon Aborigines as the same category of "genocide against specific race". I couldn't find Australian textbook so I cannot be sure how they teach in the class, but probably as much volume as how German teach Holocaust. Please share the link where I can read Australia textbook. If you are talking about honesty, I believe Japan is quite honest about history at least much more than Chinese, Korean, or the U.S. textbooks (pls refer to the bedtime reading I shared with Zichi yesterday).

Can we say the same thing about the sex slaves? Um, no

Let's face it. Koreans were not Aborigines, they were technically Japanese during WW2. Tell me, what do ROK and the U.S. teach "Sex Slaves" during Korean War and Vietnam War? Um, I don't think so.

@Zichi I heard about your POW friends etc somewhere before but what does it have anything to do with Comfort Women issue? I got your point how important WW2 is for you but it doesn't mean it is less important for others. So please stick to one subject rather than overshadowing with Japanese WW2 guilts as a whole. Though, your one liner struck me interesting.

My own family were involved in fighting the Imperialist troops in Burma.

One of POW report as to the positioning and treatment of Comfort Women was based on interrogations at Burma in 1944.

Report No. 49: Japanese Prisoners of War Interrogation on Prostitution

http://www.exordio.com/1939-1945/codex/Documentos/report-49-USA-orig.html

I don't expect your family participating in Comfort Women affair back then (I would assume everyone was concerning about their own survivals rather than treatment of prostitutes), but I was wondering where they stand on this matter for the sake of discussion.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

zichiJul. 02, 2015 - 02:46PM JST

They knew very little about some of the major events which had happened.

That depends on the definition of "major events", which is flexible at liberty. I can equally argue that every Japanese has good understanding of all the "major events".

I see no point for the denials and revisionism which continually stirs the pot of hate instead of creating an era of peace and cooperation between countries.

Stating truth is not denial or revisionism. Is it so hard to agree to letting the truth be the guide? People should stop being dogmatic and labelling others deniers or revisionists, and should find truth to mend the differences of opinions.

The current prime minister is a member of Nippon Kaigi or Nihon Kaigi, a nationalistic organisation established in 1997

OK. But what do you suggest? Do you want it dissolved? Beware of what you wish for it may come true.

The Nippon Kaigi is not the only revisionist group.

I do not think being nationalistic is good enough reason to call it a "revisionist group". To be a revisionist group, it must be promoting lies in history. You have not pointed that out.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

@CH3CHO - Stating truth is not denial or revisionism. Is it so hard to agree to letting the truth be the guide? People should stop being dogmatic and labelling others deniers or revisionists, and should find truth to mend the differences of opinions.

Quite agree.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Let's just say one private high school in Maryland. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of textbook since it was mid-90s. Please be specific how did you learn about the dark side of U.S. history in your history class? As far as I see on the net, I don't see much difference in terms of the context of textbook today as compared to the time I learned back then. One good thing about U.S. education was they allow students to debate on the certain topics, nurturing students to develp their own thoughts. There was a debate on whether "it was right action for the U.S. to drop atomic bombs toward the end of WW2" when I was in class.

I didn't go to school in the US. I did learn about the dark side of Australian history. That was freely acknowledged.

Tell me, what do ROK and the U.S. teach "Sex Slaves" during Korean War and Vietnam War? Um, I don't think so.

Perhaps because Japan has the bigger issue to deal with, one which involved women from several countries.

I don't expect your family participating in Comfort Women

I'm familiar with the term sex slaves. I'm going to go with that

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

@Christopher Glen

I didn't go to school in the US. I did learn about the dark side of Australian history. That was freely acknowledged.

If you wanna debate on Australian history, please share the link where I can read Australia textbook.

Perhaps because Japan has the bigger issue to deal with, one which involved women from several countries.

You didn't answer my question "what do ROK and the U.S. teach "Sex Slaves" during Korean War and Vietnam War?" The comfort women accusation is predominantly driven by Koreans without a doubt. You were criticizing Japan for whitewashing the history, not apologizing, not sincere enough, etc, so my question was how do Koreans and the U.S. exemplify to overcome the same nature of historical issue. Introducing Australian textbook wouldn't justify the double-standard attitude.

I'm familiar with the term sex slaves. I'm going to go with that

"Ianfu" is the historical term and its direct translation is "Comfort Woman". The words "Sex Slave" were introduced only after 1990s to impose the nagative impression rather than its actual meaning.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

"Ianfu" is the historical term and its direct translation is "Comfort Woman". The words "Sex Slave" were introduced only after 1990s to impose the nagative impression rather than its actual meaning.

Inafu and comfort woman are both euphemisms for prostitutes. Calling a girl who was kept as a sex slave a prostitute does her a disservice, and attempts to hide the negative impression rather than correctly expressing the truth of the matter.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@Strangerland

Inafu and comfort woman are both euphemisms for prostitutes.

I would say "War-time prostitutes" is more accurate.

Calling a girl who was kept as a sex slave a prostitute does her a disservice,

What is the definition of "Sex Slaves" and how are they so different from any other war-time prostitutes?

and attempts to hide the negative impression rather than correctly expressing the truth of the matter.

Are you suggesting that IAJ should have recruited prostitutes by saying "Prostitutes Wanted" rather than "Comfort Women Wanted"?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

What is the definition of "Sex Slaves"

One who is kept for sex against her will, and/or not allowed to peace.

and how are they so different from any other war-time prostitutes?

The question makes no sense, for those who were sex slaves were not prostitutes to which a comparison of 'other prostitutes' could be made. The prostitutes were there willingly. The sex slaves were not.

Are you suggesting that IAJ should have recruited prostitutes by saying "Prostitutes Wanted" rather than "Comfort Women Wanted"?

I'm suggesting they should have only used prostitutes who were of age, there on their own volition, and and able to peace when they chose.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

One who is kept for sex against her will, and/or not allowed to peace.

I believe these two words are much stronger than that. It also evokes other negative impressions mainly associate with the term "slavery" which Western cultures are very familiar with, such as "human trafficking", "abduction / kidnapping", "chained up not to escape", "no human rights", etc.

The question makes no sense, for those who were sex slaves were not prostitutes to which a comparison of 'other prostitutes' could be made. The prostitutes were there willingly. The sex slaves were not.

Let me get this straight. Are you saying all women who used be categorized as prostitutes during WW2 were unwillingly forced to become sex slaves, therefore, everyone ought to use the term "Sex Slaves" instead of the historical term "Comfort Women" or "War-time prostitutes"? Do you have any idea how absurd it sounds? You are ignoring the primitive principle in historical discussion "you should not introduce moral n emotional values of today into historical matter", not only that, you are intending to rename the official historical term with your preferable term which was introduced long after the historical event had past. btw, did you even know the term "Comfort Woman" was commonly refered to the prostitutes for U.S. & U.N. military amongst Korean society after WW2 up until 1980s?

I'm suggesting they should have only used prostitutes who were of age, there on their own volition, and and able to peace when they chose.

As far as historical evidence shows, IAJ recruited prostitutes mainly through advertisements and through agents, and strictly prohibited illegal activities such as "abduction", "human trafficking", "coercion". Accrding to "Government-General of Chosen/Tyosen Annual Report", 2,482 Koreans / 24 Japanese in 1935, 1,699 Koreans / 10 Japanese in 1938, 1,464 Koreans / 16 Japanese in 1940 were arrested just for kidnappings and abductions. I can be more specific to the individual cases that were published in the newspaper during that time. All of that evidence are readily available on the net but probably not so important for certain people or groups whose intention is something else than "truth".

To be fair, I suggest you to first clarify your assertion upon Comfort Woman issue. If I understand you correctly, you are criticizing Japan with regards to the treatment of war-time prostitutes as if they were locked n chained up to provide unwilling sexual service. Correct? If so, please provide your source of evidence to make you believe what you believe as "undeniable truth" to what extent. Please also do not forget to take the counter-evidence into consideration such as "Report No. 49: Japanese Prisoners of War Interrogation on Prostitution".

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I believe these two words are much stronger than that. It also evokes other negative impressions mainly associate with the term "slavery" which Western cultures are very familiar with, such as "human trafficking", "abduction / kidnapping", "chained up not to escape", "no human rights", etc.

Someone forced to work against their will is a slave. If they are used for sex, they are a sex slave. It's pretty straightforward.

Let me get this straight. Are you saying all women who used be categorized as prostitutes during WW2 were unwillingly forced to become sex slaves

No.

therefore, everyone ought to use the term "Sex Slaves" instead of the historical term "Comfort Women" or "War-time prostitutes"?

Sex slaves should be used to describe the sex slaves, and comfort women or war-time prostitutes should be used to describe the prostitutes.

As far as historical evidence shows, IAJ recruited prostitutes mainly through advertisements and through agents, and strictly prohibited illegal activities such as "abduction", "human trafficking", "coercion".

Interesting, seeing as Japanese historians and prime ministers have agreed that some of the women were abducted, trafficked, and/or coerced. Some were minors sold by their parents.

It sounds like you've been reading revisionist history, instead of the facts.

If I understand you correctly, you are criticizing Japan with regards to the treatment of war-time prostitutes as if they were locked n chained up to provide unwilling sexual service. Correct?

No, you don't understand me, and no, you aren't correct.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

If individuals were "forced" to work by circumstances, e.g. poverty or debt, then the are not "slaves".

When they were sold by their parents, and/or not allowed to leave, they were slaves.

All Asians were "forced" to work, or die (and many did through poverty and starvation).

Those who chose to be prostitutes were not slaves. They were not forced.

If they are paid for their services, they are not slaves.

If they weren't allowed to leave, they were slaves, regardless of whether or not they got paid.

And even the "minor" you refer to, e.g. the case of Kim Hak-sun, was sold by her Korean parents to other Koreans, before it would seem Korean brothel owners illegally put her to work.

You say that as if it somehow makes it ok to keep a minor as a sex slave. And she was not the only one.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

@ Strangerland

When they were sold by their parents, and/or not allowed to leave, they were slaves.

If that is so - who were they "enslaved" by?

The answer is the Korean brothel owners.

Unfortunately, from a legal point of view, it's not true.

Such cases would have been paying off a debt, they or their parents having received money in advance. Once the advance payment was paid off, they were free.

Are you a "slave" to your credit cards or to bank/mortgage holder?

Like I said, the Kono statement was a response to the case of the Dutch women which had arisen around that time and was not a blanket statement apply to all and every comfort women.

You need to study the context.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

If that is so - who were they "enslaved" by?

By their owners.

The answer is the Korean brothel owners.

Not if the Japanese army was keeping them.

Such cases would have been paying off a debt, they or their parents having received money in advance. Once the advance payment was paid off, they were free.

AKA slavery.

Are you a "slave" to your credit cards or to bank/mortgage holder?

My bank and credit cards don't require me to have sex with them. And I could always declare bankruptcy. Got any more apples you'd like to compare to oranges?

You need to study the context.

I don't need to do anything. I'm pointing out the accepted history. You're trying to whitewash it - you are the one who needs to justify your position. If/when I stop talking, history will still say the same things I am. When you stop talking, history will still say the same things I am. Which one of us really needs to study? (hint: you)

1 ( +3 / -2 )

And just how do you think they were free to leave since most of them were kept in battlefield brothels. So even if they had paid off their debts they would firstly have to obtain travel permission from the IJA and then would have to obtain passage from them too.

Actually, based on the recent discovery of the brothel owner's diary, it happened quite frequently.

http://nadesiko-action.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/comort_women_diary.pdf

In a 9 month period between Feb-Nov of 1944, 19 of them returned home. Some even telegrammed the said brothel owner to inform of him of their safe return while some informed him that they had not received a wire transfer.

In addition to the book published by Prof Pak yun Ha who was involved in the initial investigation of the 'comfort women' issue in Korea, which basically stated that "Chong Dae Hyup" had coached these surviving women to falsify their stories, as well as the Asahi's retractions and Kono Statement Review last year, the overall impression in Japan right now is that this was nothing but a grand hoax.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

nigelboy JUL. 08, 2015 - 02:35AM JST Actually, based on the recent discovery of the brothel owner's diary, it happened quite frequently. In a 9 month period between Feb-Nov of 1944, 19 of them returned home.

Your right. It's a great discovery. In 9 month period, it averaged out two of them returning home per month. Then tell us how many couldn't get out? Probably 99.999 percent? Great evidence from Japan.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Your right. It's a great discovery. In 9 month period, it averaged out two of them returning home per month. Then tell us how many couldn't get out? Probably 99.999 percent? Great evidence from Japan.

It's based on one particular brothel. All other details pretty much matches the war time interrogation reports conducted by the Allieds so the description of "nothing more than a prostitute or "professional camp follower" attached to the Japanese Army for the benefit of the soldiers" (Per U.S. report) sounds quite accurate.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

would that be 19 out of the quoted 200,000 women?

No. But perhaps reading the link I provided might help espcially the conclusion made by Professor Ahn. In this particular diary, the three comfort women operators are mentioned which had between 16-18 women. (pg 177)

Pretty much on par with the Allied reports and the works done by Prof. Hata in regards to the mobility of these Korean women.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

The writer of the diary wasn't a battlefield brothel owner, he was a clerk. What Allied reports stating the mobility of the women, except when the troops moved so did the brothel.

"...In the latter part of 1943 the Army issued orders that certain girls who had paid their debt could return home. Some of the girls were thus allowed to return to Korea..."

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

nigelboy JUL. 08, 2015 - 06:16AM JST "...In the latter part of 1943 the Army issued orders that certain girls who had paid their debt could return home. Some of the girls were thus allowed to return to Korea..."

Here is the perception of how IJA treated these comfort women. Approximately three out of four comfort women did not survive the war. I doubt many made it back. Maybe as a ghost?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@ Strangerland

Not if the Japanese army was keeping them.

But we know it was not the policy of the Japanese army to run brothels, it was too busy with its primary occupation of having a war to do so.

It contracted out those services to the local sex industries to run.

Strangerland,

The weakness of your argument is in your lack of legal understanding. Like it or not, liability is a legal matter and it all boils down to contract law. Unless the contract specifically stated, e.g. "you must trick and abduct teenagers against their will for us", the military is not liable or responsible for the actions of the pimps, agents and brothel owners who did.

They are.

@ zichi,

No, zichi, the comments in the Kono Statement did not apply to "all the comfort women". It was, as I reported, a direct response to the O'Herne/Dutch case which had just arisen.

The diary referred to amongst Prof Pak Yun Ha's work establishes the general pattern and dismantles much of the exaggeration and misinformation war.

You need to understand the historical context. Of course, you don't want to because establishing the truth is not your intention.

If you do want to, I would start by research the place of women within the 'catch up' economy of the Meij era in Japan during which licensed prostitution was legal, acceptable and encouraged by the Japanese government. It encouraged safe and licensed prostitution because it helped in the rapid economic growth. It was seen to help keep together families, help young men avoid the energy and expense of having them, and - as in Korea after the war - was a rapid earner for women, allowing them independence, and so on.

The unforeseen problem that happened was the expectation that the Korean sex industry would behave in the same law abiding manner as in mother Japan. That is a problem with Korean society, not Japan, and remains so (... despite prostitution being illegal in Korea, it is still worth more than forestry, fishing and agriculture combined!).

And now what we have are nationalistic Korean activists groups trying to exploit Japan by blaming it for activities carried out by their own countrymen and women.

The issue has lost the valid moral aspect it had in the 1970s when it was first raised by Japanese and Korean women's groups working together to stop the continued sexual exploitation of Korean women in the camptown (for the US) and for sex tourism.

Sex tourism the Korean government at the time promoted and encouraged as "patriotism" (Not only the same rhetoric the Meiji government used, but borrowed from the Meiji government). It was, at the time, an important earner of foreign currency for the fledgling state.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Zichi,

Nope. What you are completely avoiding is the actual existing controversy surrounding the issue which is whether or not IJA, as a policy, took part in the alleged abduction of these comfort women which based on this diary is absolutely not true.

The missing time frame you alluded to has no bearing for any person with a basic common sense is that such conduct took place, the comfort women who went home during 1944 wouldn't even bother notifying the operator that they got home safely or that they confirm that the money was wired nor bother to attend their weddings.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

The dairy was discovered in a secondhand bookshop in 2012 although the author had supposedly died 55 years earlier in 1957. No organization or scientist has analysis the dairies to investigate even if they are real or fake. You accept them because most of the content suits your believes on the events of the comfort women. If they were the opposite you're be the first to scream them down. A period of 6 years are actually missing and an important 6 year period.

Are you serious? It appears Korea University is taking credit for the discovery supplemented with a stamp from Shonan Museum.

http://megalodon.jp/2013-0809-1331-13/mainichi.jp/select/news/20130807k0000m040125000c.html

The contents is a mixture of kanji, hangul and katakana and is further supported by the fact that the both U.S. report of 1945 and the diary match the date when these women and operators depart from Pusan (July 10, 1942)

ビルマで捕らえた慰安所経営者を米軍人が尋問し45年11月に作成した調査報告書には、42年7月10日に慰安婦703人と業者約90人が釜山港を出港したとの記録がある。釜山出港の日付が一致し、日記の正確性を裏付ける。

Your double standards are simply amazing for you have not even questioned the validity of the comfort women's uncoborrated and ever changing testimonies but rather take them at face value and ask others to provide evidence to disprove them when the burden of proof lies on these women's accusations.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Without proper scientific analysis of the said diaries it can not be stated 100% that they are not fake which would be easy enough to produce and especially since they appeared in a secondhand bookshop 55 years after the death of the author. Scientific analysis is important, there are many kinds of fakes in the world. I think it's your double standards which are amazing in that you readily accept these diaries but wouldn't do so if they didn't enforce your own beliefs the events of the comfort women is for you a hoax.

The Shonan Museum stamp only existed during the Japanese occupation period in Singapore.

wonder how anyone could have sent a telegram to a battlefield location which was under strict IJA control let alone comfort women who mostly couldn't read or write. Just how did these comfort women send telegrams from various locations in Korea to Burma?

It wasn't a 'battlefield' for in a occupied city, there were even Japanese banks and businesses that operated there. Nothing weird about it for certain amout of commerce did take place. 文 玉珠, a former comfort woman, had wiring records that total over 26,000 yen which is equivalent to $700K today.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Wow, nice to see active transactions.

@Zichi

The problem with that statement is the comfort women/prositutes were of low education and from very poor family and they couldn't read. Those ads were published to find other agents to supply girls to the battlefield brothels. The Report No 49 which I think you mean the women who were interrogated by the U.S. In Burma also states that the women were not told they were being sent to IJA brothels. Did you forget to read that paragraph?

Ads were not only to find other agents, Ads were also posted in public newspapers. Although the report mentioned the inducement was misrepresenting, I don't recall the report said those Korean women couldn't read nor said by whom (the recruiting advertisements or agents) nor said they were complaining about the recruitment process. Is this only thing you learned form this report? After reading this entire report, do you seriously believe Comfort Women were Sex Slaves? or Comfort Women in Myitkyin was the exceptional case anyhow?

"Truth About Comfort Women" http://www.shirakaba.gr.jp/home/tayori/k_tayori157EN.htm

Very disappointing blog. Started off referencing 1873 document to describe the prostitute in Japan. Don't even mention why the treaty between Japan and ROK was settled in the form of ODA, probably don't even know why ROK was rejected to be included in the SF peace treaty.

@Strangerland

Someone forced to work against their will is a slave. If they are used for sex, they are a sex slave. It's pretty straightforward.

I believe everyone is obligated to pursue their tasks regardless of willingness or unwillingness especially during the war-time. If you suddenly put the term "slave" based on individual unwilling sentiments, every historical terminologies in the world history would collapse. Get real.

Sex slaves should be used to describe the sex slaves, and comfort women or war-time prostitutes should be used to describe the prostitutes.

Let me put it simple. Were Comfort Women during Korean War and Vietnam War "War-time prostitutes" or "Sex Slaves"?

Interesting, seeing as Japanese historians and prime ministers have agreed that some of the women were abducted, trafficked, and/or coerced. Some were minors sold by their parents.

So what? I'm all against Kono statement and various other historians with baseless accusations regardless of their national background. Do you want me to start pointing out fallacies of their accusations?

It sounds like you've been reading revisionist history, instead of the facts.

I have been providing my source of evidence as the facts while you are only preoccupied with the word "Sex Slave" without providing a single shred of evidence. Why don't you start providing your source for change, instead of labeling others as revisionists just because you can't agree with others?

No, you don't understand me, and no, you aren't correct.

I told you to clarify your assertion upon Comfort Woman issue. I'm asking you this because I always find it difficult to debate with Koreans since their accusations are always inconsistant and changing one topic to another.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

The stamp alone does not prove a single thing. I worked has a microscopist for an international company which analysed various important artefacts and the world is full of fakes including so called famous paintings with stamps of art museums, art auction houses and art dealers.

We're not talking about artwork that's worth millions which results in forged copies of the said original. Please. A little reality.

What is the name of the author of the diary? Why did it remain undiscovered for 55 years? According to the link you provided there are in fact 8 missing years and not the 6 which I originally thought.

Nobody bothered to look at them since many Koreans today can't read Kanji so they didn't know what to make of it. The discovery of rare books and materials found in used booked stores is not something unusual.

And why do you care about this 8 missing years? For all we know, the guy could of been in Korea at that time doing something else, hence why would he bring his past diaries to Burma?

Singapore during the brutal occupation by the IJA was under attack from the Allied.Resources were scarce during the occupation. Food ration and the IJA issued banana money as their main currency since Straits currency became rare. Singapore was far from being some kind of normally operating city.

Kind of irrelevant for commerce did take place and such bank transaction "existed" as evidenced by the savings records of . 文 玉珠. Yokohama Shokin Bank, which is cited in the diary where the operator used to wire, had branches during that time.

http://www.cgu.ac.jp/Portals/0/data1/cguwww/02/07_01/065-02.pdf

pg 28-29.

Comfort women needed permission to retire. They were not allowed to retire without the permission from the authority. They could not retire from their jobs at their own will

And??? There are three entries within the diary (March 3, 1944, July 4, September 6) where these women requested for retirement and was granted.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

nigelboy JUL. 09, 2015 - 02:38AM JST And??? There are three entries within the diary (March 3, 1944, July 4, September 6) where these women requested for retirement and was granted.

Yes, you finally found out that 3 out of approximately 200,000 retired. What a great discovery. What about the rest? What percentage of comfort women actually survive WWII under the treatment of IJA? Maybe 25 percent?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Yes, you finally found out that 3 out of approximately 200,000 retired. What a great discovery. What about the rest? What percentage of comfort women actually survive WWII under the treatment of IJA? Maybe 25 percent?

No credible evidence to back up the 200,000. No evidence 75% died during while working as a comfort women.

"....These numbers are based on "a 1975 [sic.] statement by Seijuro Arafune, Liberal Democratic Party member of the Japanese Diet, that 145,000 Korean sex slaves died during the Second World War."

During the war, Koreans were told that they were now Japanese. This was to persuade them to place money in deposit accounts. They deposited 110 billion yen, and the money was all lost at the end of the war. Now they are demanding that the money be returned. They say, "Give us back Korea's wealth, the wealth Japanese bureaucrats held on to during 36 years of rule." They say Koreans were drafted by Japan during the war and taken from Korea to work, and those who worked well were used as soldiers, and 576,000 of those soldiers are now dead. There are claims that 142,000 Korean comfort women are dead, killed by the Japanese military's sexual abuses. Now they are demanding pensions for a total of 900,000 victims. At first, 5 billion dollars was claimed as compensation, but the sum has been whittled down and now they say they are willing to settle for 300 million dollars.

"....None of Arafune figures have any basis whatsoever. It is most unfortunate that Special Rapporteur McDougal, who held a responsible position working for a United Nations organization, relied on such an untrustworthy source..."

Again, the above was answered to you in a similar article but you keep repeating the same over and over.

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nigelboy JUL. 09, 2015 - 05:06AM JST No credible evidence to back up the 200,000. No evidence 75% died during while working as a comfort women.

Why don't you tell us what percentage died from your own Japanese research?

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Its impossible to have a discussion with people like you who have decided the events of the comfort women are a hoax and nothing more than an attempt by Korea to belittle Japan and gain further compensation payments, even though Korea wasn't the only country to supply the women. You have also dismissed the Kono Statement and believe the comfort women were all willing participant prostitutes in a JIA system of battlefield brothels. According to you the IJA weren't involved with the military prostitutes except for using them and the women were well paid and once their debts were repaid were able to return home loaded with a large bag of cash and married in many cases. What a load of nonsense.

It's true. Which nation's government is still making this an issue? Korea. Now that Kono Statement review became public, many within the Japanese society are outraged by the fact that not a single evidence was presented by the Korean comfort women who claim to be abducted or coerced by the IJA. Secondly, it was clearly evident that Korean government at that time pressured the Japanese counterparts to include 'coersiveness' in turn, promised that this issue would be settled. Not only Korea reneged on her promise, they allowed 'Chong Dae Hyup' threaten Korean women not to accept Japan's apology and compensation by disclosing their names publicly.

You also hold similar views about other wartime events like Nanking, no forced labor and no bad treatment of the POW's.

I have my own views about Nanking but the other issues are simply your sad attempt via ad hominem.

You need the reality. Something does not need to have money worth to have important value. There appears to be no scientific analysis of these Korean diaries and you can't dismiss the possibility of being a fake, just like the book by Yoshida which also turned out to a fake.

Huh? Yoshida's book isn't a 'fake'. He published it and it's still in bookstores. The contents of it is fake (fiction). Apples and Oranges.

I'm not saying the diaries are a fake but there are serious questions which need answers. Who is the author, why they weren't discovered for 55 years and why 8 years are missing covering the most important parts of the war.

I've answered them. In addition, not all of them were brothel operators/owners throughout this time frame for one operated eatery in Pusan but was struggling so he decided to become a brothel owner. FYI, the author's surname is Pak and his given name is not disclosed. And who cares? For all we know, he could of partcipated in the recruitment of these women in Korea where the competition was so fierce that they had to ward off the applicants with a stick.

You have stated, which is also correct, the diaries are written in kanji, hangul and katakana. Since the long occupation of Korea by Japan there were many able to read kanji. What happened to these diaries from the time of the death of the author to their discovery.

It somehow made it's way to a second hand book store, discovered and bought by the local museum in Paju, they didn't know what to make of it since they couldn't comprehend it, and asked Prof. Ahn to analyze them. The simple fact that this diary needs to be translated to modern Korean by Prof. Ahn gives you a clue that the chances of this being fake (forgery) are slim to none.

They may also have had incurable sexual diseases but a few numbers out of the tens of thousands of women

Or they simply retired because they earned enough to pay off their debts and then some.

So how many women were there. Nearly 5,000 comfort stations servicing 6.5 million IJA troops. How many women would that need?

Where in the world did you get that figure? Even Prof. Yoshimi has revised his numbers to state "over 50K" but these western media still are regurgitating the same ol' boiler plate "200,000" figure which is the high end of his estimate back in 1995.

For the record I believe the IJA were involved in the system of the battlefield and military brothels since 1932 in China. I don't believe all the women were abducted but certainly many appear to have been human traffic since they were sold by their parents to repay the family debts. I also believe that not all the women knew they would become prostitutes and sex slaves. Many of them also suffered physically, mentally and psychologically.

Abducted by "whom"? This is the core of this stupid on going debate.

Hopefully on this 70th anniversary of the end of the war the Japanese government will use the occasion wisely to but an end to the past and seek a new era of peace and cooperation.

They did already. It's no longer an issue in Japan but a domestic issue in Korea.

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nigelboy JUL. 10, 2015 - 02:57AM JST Where in the world did you get that figure? Even Prof. Yoshimi has revised his numbers to state "over 50K" but these western media still are regurgitating the same ol' boiler plate "200,000" figure which is the high end of his estimate back in 1995.

So Professor Yoshimi is the most reliable scholar on this topic? Unfortunately, no side in this contest of pedantry will ever be able to prove specifics as to numbers and nationalities since, at the close of the war, the Japanese Army, Navy, and Imperial Household Ministry, all ordered any sensitive documents to be burned. Now why would they have done that? Seems their efforts would be better spent ensuring that their own government is even bothering to select textbooks that include appropriate mention and explanation of the Nanking massacre and sexual slavery systems. As far as I can tell, can only be a matter of pride given that they're just splitting hairs over numbers.

Sadly it's all very typical. They perceive Japan as being attacked by outside forces and thus rally to defend Japan's honor, but either don't want to shatter the illusion that exists within Japan that Japan was a victim rather than a belligerent in the war, or just refuse or can't be bothered to turn those same sights and do serious self criticism of their domestic education system and its myriad deep flaws when it comes to WWII education. Either way you cut it, it's not pretty, and a sad state of affairs.

It seems the J-government has now changed its tactics by enlisting these guys in its efforts to whitewash and rewrite history. These "historians" and "scholars" are just toeing the Japanese government line, so they seem to have no integrity or independence. Japan may be successful in using intimidation, fear, coercion and bullying to surpress truth and promote self-censorship at home. Should we be surprised at Abe and his wanting to "restore the honor" of the militarists? His Grandfather was one of them, and his father took over his Grandfathers seat in the Diet. It makes no difference if a person in JIA uniform directly recruited these poor women or the military hid behind a third party such as private-sector brokers to give itself plausible deniability. The end result is the same and cowardly hiding behind a third-party does not absolve the Japanese military of such crimes.

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sfjp330

So Professor Yoshimi is the most reliable scholar on this topic?

Apparently, the western media thinks so since they keep regurgitating his "high end" estimate of 1995 and conveniently ignoring his revised figure afterwards. I guess these writers are either too lazy, dumb or they want to ignore it since "Over 50,000" doesn't have the same impact as the status quo of "About 200,000".

As to the rest of your response, I think it's quite disgusting that you copy/paste other poster(s) comments from another website and pass it off as your own.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/03/18/national/history/japanese-historians-seek-revision-of-u-s-textbook-over-comfort-women-depiction/#.VZ7LY9FRGUk

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nigelboy JUL. 10, 2015 - 04:37AM JST I guess these writers are either too lazy, dumb or they want to ignore it since "Over 50,000" doesn't have the same impact as the status quo of "About 200,000".

That is not what he said. Mr. Yoshimi said: Between 50,000 and 200,000 women from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, the Philippines, Indonesia and elsewhere were tricked or coerced into sexual slavery. The actual figure should be somewhere in the middle. And what happened to him after Mr. Yoshimi went public by telling Asahi Shimbun? The attention led to years of harassment from the right wing, he said, including nightly phone calls.

Of the half-dozen documents Yoshimi discovered, the most damning was a notice written on March 4, 1938, by the adjutant to the chiefs of staff of the North China Area Army and Central China Expeditionary Force. Titled “Concerning the Recruitment of Women for Military Comfort Stations,” the notice said that “armies in the field will control the recruiting of women,” and that “this task will be performed in close cooperation with the military police or local police force of the area.”

Source: NYTimes

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That is not what he said. Mr. Yoshimi said: Between 50,000 and 200,000 women from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, the Philippines, Indonesia and elsewhere were tricked or coerced into sexual slavery. The actual figure should be somewhere in the middle

False.

http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASG7L5HWKG7LUTIL03L.html

Q 何人くらいいたのか。

 A 総数を示す公式記録はなく、研究者の推計しかない。現代史家の秦郁彦氏は93年に6万~9万人と推計し、99年に2万人前後と修正。吉見義明・中央大教授(日本近現代史)は95年に5万~20万人と推計し、最近は5万人以上と改めた。韓国や中国ではさらに多い数字をあげる人もいる。

Q: How many were there?

A: There are no official records of the total number hence only an estimation from scholars. Modern Historian Ikuo Hata estimated in 1993, the number was between 60-90K but in 1999, he revised the estimate to 20K or so. Professor Yoshiaki Yoshimi of Chuo University in 1995 estimated between 50-200K but recently, he revised to over 50K. There are people in Korea and China who are giving higher numbers.

And what happened to him after Mr. Yoshimi went public by telling Asahi Shimbun?

Going public with what exactly?

Of the half-dozen documents Yoshimi discovered, the most damning was a notice written on March 4, 1938,

Not damning at all. If you read the whole text which covers the background, there were rampant case of Chinese locals recruiting young girls under false pretenses and abduction. Hence, the recommendation to properly choose and control brokers who recruit comfort women and the necessity to cooperate with military police and local law enforcement authorities.

Again, this is another evidence that the Japanese authorities did not condone such acts of abduction and coersion.

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Again, Yoshiaki Yoshimi estimates are based on the assumption of everyone in the military using prostitutes, which is just somewhere between insulting and idiotic but it suits the ambitions of the hate mob to portray all of Japan as evil.

If you actually go back to personal and official diaries, you find that many were against the practise and, of course, many were happily married and so on.

At the end of the day, I suspect we'll discover the proportions of use of prostitutes and actual sex crimes are on a par with general statistics in any society today.

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nigelboy JUL. 10, 2015 - 05:18AM JST Again, this is another evidence that the Japanese authorities did not condone such acts of abduction and coercion.

The Japanese military itself newly built this system, took the initiative to create this system, maintained it and expanded it, and violated human rights as a result. That’s a critical difference.

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The Japanese military itself newly built this system, took the initiative to create this system, maintained it and expanded it, and violated human rights as a result. That’s a critical difference.

That's a leap. How does regulating and preventing such actions (kidnapping and coersion) equal to human rights violation? I would tend to think that utilizing unregulated brothels using local women like the Allieds/U.S. did during that time and beyond is a receipe for human rights violation.

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nigelboy JUL. 10, 2015 - 06:54AM JST I would tend to think that utilizing unregulated brothels using local women like the Allieds/U.S. did during that time and beyond is a receipe for human rights violation.

Comfort women had 25 percent survival rate from the brutal treatment by IJA. It's a disgrace that you have to compare with U.S.

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Comfort women had 25 percent survival rate from the brutal treatment by IJA.

Where are the remainings of 150,000 corpses? Perhaps burnt to ashes along with all of other inconvenient documents? Probably assacinated so many witnesses given the size of extraordinary massacre? Perhaps IAJ reached out to all of 150,000 Korean relatives after WW2 surrender and bribed them never to question about their missing grand-daughters / daughters / sisters?

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