Japan’s nationalist prime minister Thursday denied his nation’s military forced tens of thousands of women into sexual servitude during World War II, drawing a sharp response from Rep. Mike Honda, the Campbell Democrat who wants Congress to urge Japan to officially apologize for its wartime actions.
Shinzo Abe told reporters that he saw “no evidence to prove” that “comfort women” — a cruel euphemism for up to 200,000 women sent to brothels — had been coerced. Members of Abe’s ruling party have said Japan should rescind apologies some officials had made in 1993.
Abe’s comments prompted an angry response in South Korea, where “comfort women” had been kidnapped. The issue has caused great friction between Japan and several Asian countries, including China.
His remarks contradicted evidence in Japanese documents unearthed in 1992 that historians said showed military authorities had a direct role in working with contractors to forcibly procure women for the brothels.
Before Abe spoke Thursday, a group of ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers discussed their plans to push for an official revision of Kono’s 1993 apology.Before Abe spoke Thursday, a group of ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers discussed their plans to push for an official revision of Kono’s 1993 apology…. “Where there’s demand, businesses crop up. . . . But to say women were forced by the Japanese military into service is off the mark,” he said. “This issue must be reconsidered, based on truth . . . for the sake of Japanese honor.”
My guess is that the Japanese government is waiting for the rest of these women to die and then the whole thing will be swept under the rug. Well, at least in Japan.
In 20 years time the same people will say it were USA who attacked Japan at Pearl Harbor.
Germans for long time say it were some mythical “nazis” (not Germans, God forbid!) who supported Hitler and his “lebensraum” politic…
They’re few that photo doesn’t have the possibility of offending.
2. “They’re few that photo doesn’t have the possibility of offending.”
How about these?
1. “In 20 years time the same people will say it were USA who attacked Japan at Pearl Harbor.”
Well, we probably shouldn’t have rammed our ships into their planes like we did. And using our men to block their bullets wasn’t very nice either. I’m sure the next time we get a liberal in office she’ll apologize for our egregious behavior.
“. . . for the sake of Japanese honor.'” I think the prime minister should reconsider.
And about those summer fun camps, that people keep insist on calling “internment camps” …. or the nuclear power plant we accidentally dropped on them…
I think we should be fair here. Maybe Clint Eastwood could make a movie about Philippine “comfort women” from the perspective of the Japanese soldiers at the time. “Letters from Manila” maybe…
Never mind all the prostitution that has spring up around U.S. military installations in Asia since the end of WWII. You could probably count the Asian women who prostituted themselves to the American military in the millions. Interestingly, the biggest prostitution problem in Korea today involves U.S. military forces. The military Stars & Stripes newspaper even did a special series on the problem.
http://tinyurl.com/2wwtva
Leave it to the United States to be a hypocrite on yet another social issue.
#9, it’s a more complex issue than the definition of your two words. Asian women working in the sex trade before and after WWII are exploited. Go look that word up. The Japanese and American militaries are equally complicit in the sex trade.
Young boys are recruited to kill, it is only fair that girls are recruited to sex. Oh wait, that’s right, killing is okay but sex is not. Forcing them was right because you can’t expect men to sacrifice their life and not even offer them a little relaxation every now and then.
Killing and sex are two sides of the same coin. Look at the Red States in the USA. That is where most of the rifle owners are, and where most incest and abortions take place.
so, what’s the deal with the ladies in the uniforms? I take it they are playing characters from some magna book? or are just really into historical reenactment?
Everyone looks great in an S.S. uniform. The Gestapo really had some style.
#10
You don’t get the difference. The Japanese kidnapped women across Asia and forced them to become comfort women to the Japanese soldiers. American service men are indeed screwing prostitutes around in the world, but these prostitutes are not forced into prostitution by the American military.
#17
Oh brother, you guys don’t know ANYTHING about Japanese history, do you?
Nice blanket statement. 😉
Just an addition to your post… the atrocities by the Japanese was not limited to China.
And don’t forget what Japan did to POW. Used POW to builded the Burma railway where there is a death for ever sleepers on that track and then the the death marches in the Philippines. The Bio warfare carried out in China. No let forgot it ever happened.
#17 & #18
You guys rock.
Don’t forget that another excuse for the Japanese goverment to omit that information is because children would be shocked.
And that sounds hypocritical because it’s okay for teenagers to buy comic books that show nothing but preteen girls raped by anything imaginable.
There can be no justification for this denial. The Japanese are not alone in their denial though.
How many American children learned about the treatment of the native Americans in school? About the theft of land, murders, rapes, and diseases.
How many Russian textbooks mention how up to 10 million Ukrainians were starved to death as Russian troops took their harvests during the 1930s.
How many English children have ever heard about the Easter Day massacres in Ireland.
African don’t advertise that the majority of black slaves were taken into bondage by fellow Africans.
Of course we all know about Cortez and Ponce de Leon winning wars for Spain. We don’t hear about the massive slaughters and genocides.
Even Canada had its own little dirty bit in 1919 when Federal Troops fired into protesters in Winnipeg. The same men that had been conscripted into service in WW I and couldn’t find any medical care,work, or even food.
#21
True. There are quite a few skeletons that some Governments don’t want to talk openly about. Communist China is high up on that list… some 47 million people were killed/died during the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution. Is it mentioned in any books in mainland China? Nope.
#20
Thanks. 🙂 And yes, rape books are okay, but not talking about the real rapes their troops did…
>How many American children learned about the treatment of the native Americans in school? About the theft of land, murders, rapes, and diseases.
That’s generally part of US school curriculums. Whether students learn it is another thing, as the teachers are pretty terrible here.
21. “How many American children learned about the treatment of the native Americans in school? About the theft of land, murders, rapes, and diseases.”
Our schools are highly politically correct. Any fact showing the US in a bad light will be taught as gospel. I’m not saying it’s a bad or a good thing, just a fact.
21. All good points Mr. Fusion. So why is it you so vehemently deny that our government could do that to its own people, even today?