Conclusion

In the past decade, over fifty years after the crimes occurred, survivors have come forward, telling their stories to the world.  These survivors allowed for more information to be discovered regarding the events.  In some cases, this information led to public apologies from the Japanese government.

The crimes committed at the comfort stations remained a secret until December 1991, when three former comfort women filed suit in the Tokyo District Court seeking an apology and compensation.  There were many demands placed upon the Japanese government, including: 1) The Japanese government had to acknowledge the crimes committed, including all acts of brutality; 2) Official apologies and compensation were required to the survivors or their families; 3) A memorial was to be built for all the victims; and 4) In order to prevent this brutality from occurring again, the facts of these crimes had to be taught in school.  At first, the government had no reaction to these demands, but soon documents were discovered, attracting widespread attention, and the Japanese government was forced to acknowledge what happened at the comfort stations.

On August 4, 1993, the Japanese government issued this statement regarding the comfort houses:

1. The Japanese military was ‘directly or indirectly involved’ in the establishment and management of
    the comfort stations and   in the transfer of comfort women.
2. As for the ‘recruitment’ of comfort women, ‘in many cases they were recruited against their own will, through
    coaxing, coercion, etc.’ and ‘at times administrative/military personnel directly took part in the recruitment.’
3. ‘They lived in misery at comfort stations in a coercive atmosphere.’
4. The ‘recruitment,’ transfer, and control of comfort women born on the Korean Peninsula were conducted
    ‘generally against their will, through coaxing, coercion, etc.’
5. The issue of military comfort women is ‘an act, with the involvement of the military authorities of the day, that
    severely injured the honor and dignity of many women.’
6. To the former comfort women, ‘the government of Japan would like to take this opportunity once again
    to extend its sincere apologies (owabi) and regrets.’
The Japanese government was very careful when making these statements.  With the use of phrases, such as “directly or indirectly involved,” and never fully acknowledging the massive rapes that occurred, the apology from the government was not as sincere as many hoped.  The apology also only recognized the Korean comfort women as victims; there was no reference to the comfort women from China, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, or the Pacific Island.  The Japanese government has gone through extraordinary measures to cover the crimes they committed on their own soil as well as those in occupied regions.   Japanese textbooks still place the blame on other countries, claiming they did not do anything wrong.  The only hope the survivors have is to come forward with their stories, forcing the Japanese to face the facts of the atrocious crimes they committed to innocent people during World War II.

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Revised 11/20/02 by Kellie Johnson