The attitude of the international community beating up Japan over its comfort women issue is unfair.

Why do these politicians keep beating on the nationalist drum? Obviously in their cold blooded calculations there are more people with nationalist tendencies than without. In this case, the people of the major city of Osaka.

Hashimoto-san, out of the limelight a little to long I see.

It's just us against the rest of the world, eh? As one writer once stated: "Japan: in the world but not of it."

Rape and pillage and burning have always been the tools to break the enemy. All warring nations use these tactics. Not that it should be condoned, but those are the facts and part the historical record for all times and all cultures.

Even forces acting as Peacekeepers. In the 1990s UN Peacekeepers were exposed by Amnesty International as having supported the trafficking of young girls to the sex trade. But you rarely hear about that (except on blogs, obscure publications, Wikipedia and sometimes a film such as The Whistle Blower).

No doubt Japan resents the hypocrisy in being singled out for their part in atrocities when others guilty of the same thing don't have it thrown in their faces again and again. However, it would serve Japan better to apologize, compensate and be thereafter be quiet about it.

Another loudmouth who should just zip it in public. Spout off in the hostess bars, lad. At least they are paid to listen to your rubbish.

The attitude of the international community beating up Japan over its comfort women issue is unfair.

Well, for starters, YOU IDIOTS KEEP BRINGING IT UP!!!

This was very poorly translated.

What he actually said was, "Waaah! Waaaaaah! Waaaaaaaaah!"

I do think there is a bit of lack of perspective (e.g abuse of women happened everywhere in WW2), but also thing Japanese response is inflammatory. Seems to me a sincere apology might close the issue.

Cry me a river. If you boneheads would stop sticking your two feet in your mouth. When I was in grade school my teachers taught us what a horrible thing the atomic bombs. We were taught about Sadoko and the thousand paper cranes in the 4th or 5th grade. This is about 50 years ago.

The reason is that Japan hasn't honestly apologized. People like Hashimoto prove it daily.

Only this joker would make such a statement.

well hashi if Japan were to admit its history instead of having fools like YOU make these comments then Japan could tell China & SKorea to bugger off, but alas Japan cant because SO MANY prominent people are STUPID & they keep publically denying Japans history & also say well Japan has apologized so they think its okay to deny........DUH!!

Japan only brings this on itself, REPEATIDLY!

I was waiting already for Toru to chime in.... how predictable!

Of all the people who should know better to comment further on this issue, Hashimoto should be the know-betteriest.

Then again, it is Hashimoto.

Here is a link to US House of Representative hearing on comfort women. http://archives.republicans.foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/33317.pdf

On page 19, former comfort woman Ms. YONG SOO LEE testified in writing as follows.

In the autumn of 1944, when I was 16 years old, my friend, Kim Punsun, and I were collecting shellfish at the riverside when we noticed an elderly man and a Japanese man looking down at us form the hillside. A few days later, Punsun knocked on my window early in the morning, and whispered to me to follow her quietly. I tip-toed out of the house after her. I lift without telling my mother. I was wearing a dark skirt, a long cotton blouse buttoned up at the front and slippers on my feet. I followed my friend until we met the same man who had tried to approach us on the riverbank. He looked as if he was in his late thirties and he wore a sort of People's Army uniform with a combat cap. Altogether, there were five girls with him, including myself.

On page 17, the same Ms. YONG SOO LEE testified orally as follows.

I live in Taegu, South Korea. My name is Lee Yong Soo, and sometimes I am a 14-year-old girl, and I look outside my window, and there is a girl, and there is a Japanese man, and they are saying something to each other, and they are gesturing me to come out. I did not know anything. I did not know what was going on but they gestured me to come out so I came out, and as you seen her dress, the girl and the Japanese soldier put their hand on my shoulder, and covered my mouth, and the soldier put something against my back, and like that in the middle of the night I was taken away.

Which story should I believe? Why is this huge "contradiction", if not perjury, left unnoticed by the press?

No one "beating up" Japan. People are only speaking the truth, unlike Hashimoto and other rightist trash.