This is a mobile optimized page that loads fast, if you want to load the real page, click this text.

Comfort Women


1th Septemper 1961 by The Dong-a Ilbo Newspaper
(Translation of title)
"We( seoul city ) accepts registration for post as comfort woman of UN's army from 13th of this month"

In case of Korea, a nation of korea recruited comfort women as a postitute
for UN soldiers

Beginner's salary of Policeman was JPY45.- per month at the same time
Click to expand...
ﾂ 7 yen is corect
 
Last edited:
a Pro. of Seoul unversity said." anti-japan sentiment is pointless....."


 
Caster, you have to understand that not all the women volunteered and/or were honestly recruited for 'comforting' the Japanese soldiers. But don't feel bad Oscar in YD doesn't seem to grasp that point either. Often issues like this are not just black and white, something PM Abe is still grappling with.
 
Last edited:
I'm currently producing a documentary on the comfort women, and I must say, what PM Abe has said is quite enraging. While it is true that some women went willingly into the comfort system, the brutal truth is that the vast majority WERE forced. People need to realize and acknowledge that, instead of trying every way in the world to denounce this issue.
 
gaijinalways, you have to understand all women were prositutes (not slaves) , i.e., part of them had been "sold" by their parents to brokers for the debt (parents had received advance). They were really pitiable in that sense.

For your info, the number of comfort women (=prostitutes) is estimated around 20,000 (NOT 200,000! impossible!), 50% Japanese, 20% Koreans (Japanese citizens at that time), 30% Chinese and others.

Comfort women (prostitutes) were able to quit the job and to be completely free once they had paid off the debt.

You can get an access to the US report on comfort women, searching words "exordio.com/1939-1945/codex/Documentos/report-49-USA" (adding URLs is not allowed)


Let us make points clear --

1) NO KIDNAPPING , NO SLAVERY caused by Japanese military

2)Prostituion itself was legal in Japan until 1949, was as legal as it is now in some European countries; regulations existed in Japan to protect prostitutes against excessive exploitation

3)Japanese military issued warning against illegal recruitments (mostly in Korean Peninsula where most brokers were Koreans), this means Japanese military did acknowledge the existence of wartime prostitutes, which Japanese government has never denied

4)What Japanese military did were -- warning brokers against illegal or dishonest recruitment, ordering housemasters (employers) to keep his/her house in good sanitary conditions, sending doctors occasionally to houses , taking care of safe transportation of the women. All these were done for the health and safety of soldiers and civilians (prostitutes and housemasters, etc.) outside of Japan. Nothing blamable!

5)GHQ (general headquarters) of US occupation military (1945 - 1952) , shocked at reports of thousands of rapes caused by US soldiers in Japan, also requested Japanese authority to provide them with "amusement house" of prostitutes -- US military had similar facilities in Vietnam -- South Korea government also provided UN military with prostitutes. These facts tell us that militarism needs wartime prostitues, which feminists can argue, if they want to , but this matter should be treated as something general in this whole world.

6)Misery of "sold" women was a tragedy, of course -- however, was nothing rare 50 - 60 years ago. There were many Japanese women, most of whom were daughters of poor farmers in northern area of Japan.

7)There was one case in Idonesia where Japanese soldiers took Dutch women to a comfort house against their will (NOT kidnapped). Two months later, higher rank officers noticed that and punished soldiers immediately, released them, and shut down the house. After WWII, 11 officers (including completely innocent one) were sentenced to DEATH or to 15-20 years in prison. For your info, there were already 2-3 hundreds Dutch prostitutes when Japanese military occupied Indonesia.

8)After WWII Japan accepted the judgement of International Military Tribunal for the Far East (Tokyo Military Trial). Series of trials were done without justice nor fairness, nevertheless, Japan accepted the judgement. As written above, Japanese military officers were severely punished.
You can get an access to Wiki page, searching words "International Military Tribunal for the Far East"

9)NO CASE of kidnapping/slavery done by Japanese military was brought to the court of Tokyo Military Trial. No one -- no Korean, no Chinese charged Japan with kidnapping/slavery at the court 60 years ago.

10)In 1965, the Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) was signed (which was kept secret in South Korea until 2005.) South Korea agreed to demand no compensations, either at the government or individual level, after receiving money (a huge amount at that time) in grants and soft loans from Japan. South Korean government also claimed that it would handle individual compensation to its citizens who suffered during Japan's colonial rule, while rejecting Japan's proposal to directly compensate individual victim, and receiving the whole amount of grants on the behalf of victims.

11)At this 1965 treaty, kidnapping/slavery was not brought by South Korea, either. Was there any Korean officer who tried to include this matter into agenda? -- No. No one talked about this matter.

12) In 1991, the first Korean "witness" appeared. She said that she could testify "evil conducts" of Japanese military -- but every time she was interviewed, what she claimed was inconsistent with what she told previously. Finally, we learned that she was another case of those pitiable women; she was sold by her father (foster father) to Korean broker.

13)"Comfort women" were renamed to "military comfort women" and to "sex slaves."
What private brokers did 70-60 years ago is now called "kidnapping by Japanese military."
Sounds very strange, doesn't it?

14)"Kidnapping/slavery" is a fiction, a total frame-up. All these comfort women matters, there is surprising background -- it would require much more space (and time and energy) to be told you correctly, so I stop here now.


Comfort women matter was at first (and still is) "bread and butter" of not only Korean but also Japanese left-wing activists. Recently it has become a weapon for China to attack Japan, to destroy US-Japan alliance. China's next weapon would be "Nanking massacre", there was no massacre, it was just one of local battles.


The Japanese accepted the judgement of unfair Tokyo Military Trial and have apologized all the countries involved in WWII many times -- yes, many times! -- and have been trying to contribute to peace of Asia through giving economical/technological/educational support to Asian countries for these 60 years.

While "kidnapping/slavery by Japanese military" being a total frame-up, still, apologies are not enough?

Why do some people require Japanese government of further apologies, instead of blaming North Korea for kidnapping Japanese citizens including a 13-year old girl ?

Why do some people try to reduce Japan into silence while neglecting kidnapped Japanese (and other countries') citizens in North Korea ? They are still captivated in North Korea!!

We, the Japanese will never let our government make any further apologies.
Further apologies would be only harmful to health of mind of Japanese children.We will protect the future of our children.
 
Last edited:
7)There was one case in Idonesia where Japanese soldiers took Dutch women to a comfort house against their will (NOT kidnapped).
Click to expand...

How ludicrous can you get, "against their will" ="NOT kidnapped".

What the hell is your definition of kidnapping? Are you some kind of :dunce:
 
Hi, ecampbell07!

I would recommend you to do thourough investigation about this matter before you produce your documentary, otherwise you would end up being involved in cheep propaganda.

Or are you already involved?

China lobby has approached you?
Representative Mike Honda, D-California, is trying to gain favor with Korean-American voters in his elecion district, but also has received contributions form China lobby. Financally, it is China lobby who support Mike Honda. With this comfort women matter, Mike Honda is manipulated by China lobby. They are preparing for their 2nd stage (Nanking masacre), I bet.

We Japanese believed that US Congress is a place for fruitful discussion -- we believed so, until yesterday. See what they are doing there now. I wonder if tax payers will not get angry to know the truth of Congress. It is a farce. Reps are spending time and money (tax) discussing what Japanese military did 60 years ago, what Turks did to Armenians 100 years ago in order to act for China lobby and French lobby separately.

" the brutal truth is that the vast majority WERE forced. "
Forced by whom?
By Japanese military? -- No jokes, please.
Japanese military might be accused of neglecting the tragedy which was caused by poverty.

Would you Americans willingly make your government apologyze to the Japanese for the brutal truth that GHQ of US military neglected what was happening daily in the first couple of months and let US soldiers rape thousands of Japanese women (housewives, highschoolers, i.e. civilians), and forced some other Japanese women to become prostitutes during 1945 - 1952?
 
ecampbell07 said:
People need to realize and acknowledge that, instead of trying every way in the world to denounce this issue.
Click to expand...

I have yet to hear anyone other than a few Japanese people make any claims otherwise. I would change this to read;

A few Japanese people need to realize and acknowledge that instead of trying every way in the world to denounce this issue they should accept the fact that this is a sad part of the history of Japan.

I wrote earlier that I was getting a bit tired of hearing people continually say that they are waiting for Japan to "officially" apologize for this issue from WWII. I have to admit that in the case of the comfort women issue Japan meaning the government has been inexcusably slow in responding and acknowledging that this sorry episode from WWII still cause pain and suffering for many throughout many parts of Asia.

I'm currently producing a documentary on the comfort women, and I must say, what PM Abe has said is quite enraging
Click to expand...

When you finish it please either put a link here to allow us to watch it or let us know when and where it will be hopefully broadcast. I think it should be educational for all parties involved. I particularly hope that the program if appropriate would be aired here on NHK as well. Good luck in your endeavor.

@origami
Well are you going to "answer" my question to you?
 

You are confusing the issue, by writing this you are attempting to equal one with the other. They are two separate issues. You are attempting to say that one justifies the other, while neither are justifiable in any sense of the word.

Also there is little evidence and no claims by Japanese women that I know of to support your accusations here.

The evidence is heavily against you on this issue.
 
Obeika, you must note that I wrote "there was one case" -- it means it was an exceptional case, and soldiers were punished immediately, and the house was shut down.

Korean and Dutch witnesses who appreared in Congress the other day, and their supporters -- what they mean by the term "kidnapping" is "snatching a girl away off her parents while they were walking along a country road, or enjoying picnic, etc., and dumping her to the platform of a truck and taking her away together with other girls without telling her parents anything."

Ridiculous. This is exactly what North Korean agents were doing in 1970s - 80s in Japan.

As to the case with a Dutch woman, her father knew where his daughter was; he reported the fact to Japanese military headquarters, and Japanese officers were surprised and shocked and found the dauter and returned her to the father.

As I wrote above, this Dutch case was brought to the court where the Dutch women testified already. 11 Japanese officers were sentensed to many years in prison or death.

Is it fair for anyone to require Japan of second trial/apology after 60 years?
I think it is a total unfairness.
 
Last edited:
Obeika, you must note that I wrote "there was one case" -- it means it was an exceptional case, and soldiers were punished immediately, and the house was shut down.
Click to expand...
No I do not "need" to note that at all, you are sidestepping the issue by infering that against someones will does not equal kidnapping, on this you are wrong.

Ridiculous. This is exactly what North Korean agents were doing in 1970s - 80s in Japan.
Click to expand...

Once again different issue, you lose your credibility when you cloud the point you were first trying to make by including information that has nothing to do with the topic at hand.

Again you attempt to justify the actions of the Japanese military. It just doesnt cut it with me.
 

Obeika, if you say "neither are justifiable", then ask US government to apologyze to the Japanese at least once.

We have undergone trials and repeated apologies.

We were forced to admit and aplogyzed even for what never occurred in Military Trials after WWII. There was no other choice.

However, that is the last straw to be required further apologies for what Japanese military was not responsible for.
 
PM Abe has never denied the existence of comfort women (prostitutes), he (and his supporters) denies the fiction that Japanese military kidnapped women and forced them to work as slaves.

Since the first Korean "witness" with inconsistent testimony appreared suddenly in 1991, a couple more "witnesses" and their supporters started to crowd in front of Japanese Embassy in Seoul, South Korea weekly.

PM Miyazawa promised President Chon to look into the matter.

And he did.
He ordered Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other departments to do a thorough investigation.

They found nothing.
No hard evidence was there that testifies Japanese military issued an order in writing for recruitment of women.

In the meantime the crowd in front of Japanese Embassy was growing larger and noisier and more hysterical.

In 1993, Chief Cabinet Secretary Kono visited Seoul, South Korea, he was asked to meet some of "witnesses". He agreed, but some memebers of Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs interviewed them in advance.

Kono's team interviewed 16 old women, i.e., they just listened to what old women told. There was no hard evidence in Korea, either.

Then, Kono's counterpart of Korea made a proposition -- if Kono admits that those 16 Korean women were coerced to become comfort women, Korean government will pay compensation money to each individual. Korean officials asked Kono strongly not to injure the pride of old women.

Kono, in expectation that they would stop hysteric demonstration, stretched the meaning of "coercion" to its full extent -- he interpreted "coerction" as "negligence" of illegal recruitment.

Korean officials requested that Kono make sure to include the term "coercion" in his Talk which was to be announced the following day.

In this way Kono's Talk 1993 was announced.

Japanese government also supported the establishment of Foundation for Asian Women.


Then what happened?

Japanese government was betrayed.
Situation stays unchanged.

Korean old women never stop crying hysterically, Korean massmedia never stop generating anti-Japan reports, even Korean President blames Japan loudly, all which are oiling the anti-Japan flames.

Most of the Japanese, including PM Abe, have learned that making obscure compromises is nothing more than harm to the healthy relation between Japan and Korea or any other country.

Kono Talk 1993 has made complicated situation more complicated without imroving Korea-Japan relation -- or more exactly -- it has ruined the relationship.

Now China is putting comfort women matter to wrong use.

This is why most Japanese are waiting for PM Abe to speak up.
 
origami said:
Obeika, if you say "neither are justifiable", then ask US government to apologyze to the Japanese at least once.
Click to expand...

You know by writing what you did right here you are admitting that the Japanese Military was guilty as charged in the comfort women issue.

Everything else you write from this point on is meaningless.

Thank you for admitting that the Japanese Military was guilty of forcing women to work as prostitutes. Now if you can get the government to pay compensation to these unfortunate victims the issue could be closed.
 
Obieka, Origami adopts the usual Japanese government line, which is to try and weasal out of responsibility on any technicalities that can be posed. This was continued with establishing a non-governmental body to pay compensation to the 'comfort' women.

Origami, you seem to have missed a lot of evidence unearthed that points to Japanese soldiers kidnapping women and raping them aganist their wishes (in some cases with the soldiers themselves admitting to the charges, but with most still not considering their actions wrong as they were following orders from the emperor). Women were not 'allowed to leave' until towards the end of the war. And if you're wondering why some of the women didn't come forward much earlier, some are dead already, and many others were embarassed/ashamed to come forward and tell about events they might rather have forgotten ever happened.
 

I pretty much realized that after Origami's first post on this topic. Also the non-government body set up to deal with these claims has it mandate run out on March 31st of this year.
 
I dont think so at all.
.
Report No. 49: Japanese Prisoners of War Interrogation on Prostitution: La Segunda Guerra Mundial
according to trial, one of them, savings was 26,000 yen.
she sent 5000 yen to home in korea.
policeman's salary was 7yen at that time .
a new big house was 1000yen
PM salary was 800 Yen
was she a slave?.
she was so rich
 
The nature of this "service" was not specified but it was assumed to be work connected with .........generally making the soldiers happy.
Click to expand...

Yeah I suppose it could be said the "soldier's" were "happy".

Comfort Women Poll

Please check out that link to a poll on this site, make your vote there please, I am hoping that you will see that the overwhelming majority of people on this board don't agree with you or your "stance" on this issue.
 
a official doccument of Japanese army
The army guraded against malignant prostitute mediation trader.

Newspaper article that manages korean prostitute mediation trader in malignant in 1939
korean agents kindanapped 100women in rural.

policeman went china to expose them

a korean slave trader like a devil was arrested
 


Show us what you call "a lot of evidence unearthed".

I've seen tons of fictions.
So, please show hard evidencce.

One more thing, please read carefully and thoroughly all my previous comments.

I am NOT wondering why some women didn't come forward much earlier, because I know why some "witnesses" appeared suddenly in 1991.
 
I've seen tons of fictions.
So, please show hard evidencce
Click to expand...

The Position of JapanFrom the United Nations Report on CONTEMPORARY FORMS OF SLAVERY


Scroll down the page to the appendix


There are evidently two issues here one of which is already decided upon;

1) Is the current Japanese Government liable monetarily for the crime of coercing these women into being prostitutes.

2) Admission of guilt; The Japanese Government has officially admitted that these crimes occured and apologized for them. Noone can argue that the Japanese military during WWII was not guilty as charged, only to the extent of the crime and numbers, official estimates put the number at nearly 200,000women.



Here is some more;


Taken from JAPANESE SEX SLAVERY BEFORE,
DURING AND AFTER WORLD WAR II


How about this from Amnesty International;

Comfort Women

How about this taken from A Public Betrayed



I challenge you to read through these and tell me that all these people from all these different sources from all over the world are liars.
 
Obeika,

Introducing reports and books is useless.

When I say "hard evidence", it means firsthand material, not reports, nor books.

"United Nations Report" is only a report based on a collection of unreliable information. You say "the figure 200,000 appears in appendix", and I must say "So what?"

200,000 women ..... wow! I wonder how many soldiers were there (lol).

As to the book "A Public Betrayed", I would like to return these words to the authors.
 
Hello!
I am very intruiged by Origami's point of view. To make it clear: I do not support his view, but I think everyone is entitled to an opinion, and his is clear and.. Well, controversial to say the least.

I haven't had the time the read all the posts, so let me ask you a few question on your first post, if that's ok Origami?

Now, I've the read the report to which you have provided us a link. You use it as some sort of evidence to make us believe that the "comfort women" were prostitutes, and were not recruited by force. However, the report states:
Other reports show the "comfort girls" have been found wherever it was necessary for the Japanese Army to fight.
Click to expand...
Which pretty much means that in other cases the Japanese did force girls to provide "services". It is therefore not truthful to make a generalized statement about this issue based on this report alone.

Also, it says that:
On the basis of these false representations many girls enlisted for overseas duty and were rewarded with an advance of a few hundred yen.
Click to expand...
False representations? Doesn't seem like a fair deal does it? And besides that:
Many "masters" made life very difficult for the girls by charging them high prices for food and other articles.
Click to expand...
Hm.. I fail to see how one could perceive this as "normal" prostitution.

If I may put this debate into a bit of perspective, even if it was very common to prostitute at that time, that doesn't mean that Japan hadn't done anything wrong. Wrongful conduct is often recognized only in hindsight; at the time it might have seemed like a normal thing to do, but it can still be recognized as a crime against humanity later.

For example, take the whole slavery business in between Europe/Africa/America. At the time it was pretty common to recognize negroid people as "lesser beings" and treat them as slaves. Moreover, the Africans themselves seemed to cooperate; a Ghanian historian Akosua Adoma Perbi has said that "slavery became an important part of the Asante state right from its inception" and that after abolition, in 1872, the king of Asante wrote to the British monarch asking for the slave trade to be renewed. [Source=The Economist, February 24 Issue, p59-61]

So even though there was some participation from the African side, as many families sold their childeren "willingly" it is still considered "wrong" to trade slaves. That is because we as human beings have, starting in the Enlightenment period, striving for a more liberal (free) and equality-based global society. This is what is considered "normal". I say "willingly" because many were having financial troubles or were lured under false representations.. Sound familiar?

Now, the Japanese have done some things during WWII, which are considered now as inhumane, according to these priciples of basic human rights. Although the magnitude of the problem is certainly debateable, there is little doubt as to the wrongful conduct of Japanese occupiers in Asia during WWII.

PS: I find the facts about the US "amusement house" in Japan and the UN's request for similar services in South Korea very interesting. Do you have any reliable sources for that? I am also quite stunned by your story about the Dutch prostitutes. I wish to see some sources for that too if you will. Thanks in advance.
 
 
leonmarino said:
Hello!
I am very intruiged by Origami's point of view. To make it clear: I do not support his view, but I think everyone is entitled to an opinion, and his is clear and.. Well, controversial to say the least.
Click to expand...

Dear leonmarino

As origami is so unsensitive towards womon who have been abused, you obviously assume that origami must be a male. However, origami, who have only posted viewpoints regaring this thread, claims to be female. I think that origami is not what he claims to be. I think you are trying to argue whith one of the extreme right-wingers who enjoys making everyone upset by posting inflamatory propoganda in this discussion forum. I would not be surprised if origami is actually a person who was allready banned from this site. Though I like most other are provoked by people like origami, I suggest that a discussion with such people are actually giving them more credit than they deserve.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

  • Poll Poll
Comfort Women What do you think?
21 22 23
Replies
550
Views
104K
caster51
C
W
Why do only few Japanese men go for Western women?
2 3
Replies
66
Views
112K
think_too_mut
U.S. troops used 'comfort women' after WWII
4 5 6
Replies
131
Views
38K
harrystone
H
S
US House urges Japan to apologize over comfort women
2 3 4
Replies
89
Views
22K
dongdong
D
WW-II, Atrocities, Comfort Women
2 3
Replies
52
Views
16K
lemiel
L
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…