Comfort women
Comfort women were women and girls forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces in occupied countries and territories before and during World War II.[2][3][4][5] The term "comfort women" is a translation of the Japanese ianfu (慰安婦),[6] which literally means "comforting, consoling woman".[7] During World War II, Japanese troops forced hundreds of thousands of women from Australia, Burma, China, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, and other countries into sexual enslavement for Japanese troops; however, the majority of the women were from Korea.[8] Many women died or committed suicide due to brutal mistreatment and sustained physical and emotional distress. After the war, Japan's acknowledgment of the comfort women's plight was minimal, lacking a full apology and appropriate restitution, which damaged Japan's reputation in Asia for decades. Only in the 1990s did the Japanese government begin to officially apologize and offer compensation.
For the musical, see Comfort Women: A New Musical. For their depiction in the arts, see Comfort women in the arts.Native name
Estimates vary as to how many women were involved, with most historians settling somewhere in the range of 50,000–200,000;[9] the exact numbers are still being researched and debated.[10][11][12]
Originally, the brothels were established to provide soldiers with a sexual outlet, to reduce wartime rape and the spread of venereal diseases.[13] The comfort stations, however, had the reverse effect of what was intended—it increased the amount of rapes and increased the spread of venereal diseases. The first victims were Japanese women, some who were recruited by conventional means, and some who were recruited through deception or kidnapping. The military later turned to women in Japanese colonies, due to lack of Japanese volunteers and the need to protect Japan's image.[14][15] In many cases, women were lured by false job openings for nurses and factory workers.[16] Others were also lured by the promises of equity and sponsorship for higher education.[17] A significant percentage of comfort women were minors.[18]
Memorials and organizations
China
On December 1, 2015, the first memorial hall dedicated to Chinese comfort women was opened in Nanjing. It was built on the site of a former comfort station run by the invading Japanese troops during World War II.[249]
The memorial hall stands next to the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders.
In June 2016, the Research Center for Chinese Comfort Women was established at Shanghai Normal University.[250] It is a museum that exhibits photographs and various items related to comfort women in China.
A number of former comfort women had come forward and spoken out about their plight of being a comfort woman:
Academic research
Japanese official statements
United States historical documents