For long, I thought, an apologize would have been enough(which took the Japanese long enough). But after the last events I changed my mind.
Australia can do with their Aborigines now, we did too here in Germany and would support victims (as for Australia, my own uncle, Zeppelin family, was pleading for attention in this matter, he would have been very happy about the present sorries).
Any sorry raises credibility, any denial does exactly the opposite.
Since I know some of these comfort women myself, and so do many journalists, also japanese, that just reported, that they would speak up, if they only could (but they have the according materials). . . . . .the present japanese politics about this theme is simply disgusting, so they also say, and search for other ways. You have no idea, that the WW2 mind crime issue is already at work again in Japan in a way. Which is a major reason for one japanese Berlinale competition film about WW2 in Japan here! And that one will NOT be silenced, be sure. If so in Japan, it will simply go around the world, in all honours.
We would say in Germany, its a crime to silence them!