Imperial Japan s System of Military Sexual Slavery

Imperial Japan’s System of Military Sexual Slavery

Imperial Japan’s System of Military Sexual Slavery Edmonton ALPHA Association for Learning and Preserving the History of WWII in Asia

The ‘Comfort Women’ Issue DEC 1937 – JAN 1938: • The Japanese military As the Rape of Nanking kidnapped women from hit foreign newspapers the Korea, China and other Japanese military instituted countries and forced them ‘ Comfort ’ stations to hide into prostitution. the actions of their soldiers. A poster stating the location of a ‘Comfort House’ for Japanese soldiers • Only about 30% of the 200, 000 women forced into this form of sexual slavery survived this ordeal.

The ‘Comfort Women’ Issue • Today in Korea there are fewer than 100 ‘comfort woman’ survivors. • No one knows how many ‘comfort women’ survivors are still living in China. A poster stating the location of a ‘Comfort House’ for Japanese soldiers

Japan’s Extensive System of Military Sexual Slavery

“Comfort House” (1938 -45) – formerly a family’s home in Shanghai

A ‘Comfort Woman’s’ room…

As a child, Dr. CHEN lived in this house before Japan turned it into a Rape House.

Day after day, the heavy tread of soldiers’ boots could be heard upon these narrow stairs …heard by the young women confined to Japan’s system of sexual slavery…

COMFORT STATION I climb the narrow stairway, as so many men before me I touch the cold, hard wall and in an instant I feel. . . , I hear. . . , I see. . .

COMFORT STATION … I feel myself shaking, ripping, my knees ready to give out.

COMFORT STATION There is no comfort here. Thank God for the people around me to catch me if I fall. — Greg van Vugt 2008 Study Tour

Meeting a survivor of military sexual slavery…

Madam Tan receives a knitted shawl from her Canadian friends.

Korea’s Halmoni — the ‘Grandmas’

Korea’s House of Sharing & Museum of Sexual Slavery by Japanese Military

Korea’s House of Sharing & Museum of Sexual Slavery by Japanese Military “ Unblossomed Flower ” by Young-suk Yoon

Korea’s House of Sharing & Museum of Sexual Slavery by Japanese Military Ontario mother Judy Cho translates the curator’s remarks for her Canadian colleagues…

Korea’s House of Sharing & Museum of Sexual Slavery by Japanese Military ‘Grandma’ KIL Won-Ok

Korea’s House of Sharing & Museum of Sexual Slavery by Japanese Military

Canadian Teachers join the Wednesday Noon Demonstration in front of the Japanese Embassy JULY 2008 – Seoul, Korea

Survivors’ Demands • Acknowledge the war crime • Officially apologize • Accurately portray the history in textbooks

Canada Responds 2007 November 28: Members of parliament consider MOTION 291. The motion asks the Japanese Diet to 1) acknowledge the history of ‘Comfort Women’ and 2) make a formal and sincere apology. The motion is passed unanimously.

The World Responds 2007 -08 • • • — European Parliament U. S. Congress Korean Parliament Taiwanese Parliament Philippine House of Representatives Dutch Parliament all these legislatures unanimously passed resolutions calling on Japan to recognize its moral obligation to those enslaved in its system of Military Sexual Slavery

And in Japan (2008) • 28 March: Takarazuka City Council in Osaka passed a resolution on calling on the Government of Japan to address the issue of the ‘comfort women’ system. • 25 June: Kiyose City Council in Tokyo followed suit. • 7 November: Sapporo City Council, Hokkaido, passed a similar resolution.

“These resolutions are a call for action from the Japanese government. The Japanese government should recognize that the world will not forget the abuses inflicted by the ‘comfort women’ system [and] apologize for its actions now. . . ” —Sam Zarifi, Asia-Pacific Director, Amnesty International

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