Osaka mayor set to apologize to 'comfort women'
Source: AFP |
May 17, 2013, Friday
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MAYOR of Osaka is to meet former wartime sex slaves, reports said yesterday after he pledged to apologize to them, while insisting Japan's soldiers were not unique in brutalizing women.
Up to 200,000 "comfort women" from Korea, China, the Philippines and elsewhere were forcibly drafted into brothels catering to the Japanese military during WWII, according to many mainstream historians.
There is no evidence that other modern militaries have employed a formal sex slavery system.
Hashimoto prompted outrage at home and abroad by saying on Monday that soldiers living with the daily threat of death needed some way to let off steam and that this was provided by the comfort women system.
"I think I have to apologize firmly for what Japan did as I talk to former comfort women," said Toru Hashimoto, who is co-leader of the national Japan Restoration Party.
He is set to meet two South Korean former "comfort women" later this month at Osaka city hall, major local media, including NHK and the Nikkei newspaper said.
"I will tell the comfort women that I'm sorry for having had such a system no matter whether it was forcible or not," Hashimoto said. "It was a disgraceful act and should never be repeated."
But Hashimoto, who has been mentioned as a possible future prime minister, insisted sexual exploitation of women was not unique to Japan.
"During World War II, neither the US nor the British militaries had comfort stations or comfort women, but it is an obvious fact that they made use of local women.
"Japan was not the only one doing so," he said. "Everybody was doing bad things. I think Japanese people... should offer objections if there is a misunderstanding of facts in the world."
Yang No-Ja, a senior activist of the Korean Council of the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, a group of comfort women and activists said Hashimoto's remarks were "outrageous".
"He must sincerely apologize for what he has done so far. Instead of a personal apology, we want a heartfelt apology from the Japanese government."
Kang Jian, a Chinese lawyer who helps former sex slaves, said Japan needed to face up to its past in the same way Germany had.
Up to 200,000 "comfort women" from Korea, China, the Philippines and elsewhere were forcibly drafted into brothels catering to the Japanese military during WWII, according to many mainstream historians.
There is no evidence that other modern militaries have employed a formal sex slavery system.
Hashimoto prompted outrage at home and abroad by saying on Monday that soldiers living with the daily threat of death needed some way to let off steam and that this was provided by the comfort women system.
"I think I have to apologize firmly for what Japan did as I talk to former comfort women," said Toru Hashimoto, who is co-leader of the national Japan Restoration Party.
He is set to meet two South Korean former "comfort women" later this month at Osaka city hall, major local media, including NHK and the Nikkei newspaper said.
"I will tell the comfort women that I'm sorry for having had such a system no matter whether it was forcible or not," Hashimoto said. "It was a disgraceful act and should never be repeated."
But Hashimoto, who has been mentioned as a possible future prime minister, insisted sexual exploitation of women was not unique to Japan.
"During World War II, neither the US nor the British militaries had comfort stations or comfort women, but it is an obvious fact that they made use of local women.
"Japan was not the only one doing so," he said. "Everybody was doing bad things. I think Japanese people... should offer objections if there is a misunderstanding of facts in the world."
Yang No-Ja, a senior activist of the Korean Council of the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, a group of comfort women and activists said Hashimoto's remarks were "outrageous".
"He must sincerely apologize for what he has done so far. Instead of a personal apology, we want a heartfelt apology from the Japanese government."
Kang Jian, a Chinese lawyer who helps former sex slaves, said Japan needed to face up to its past in the same way Germany had.
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