Expanding the Field of Struggle for the Japanese Military “Comfort Women”

In the second round of conversation with young scholars, we met with young researchers and activists Lee Eunjin, Lee Jaeim, and Choi Sung Yong, and asked what the issue of the “Comfort Women” in the Japanese military means to their lives, and how it motivates them.

• 2022-10-14
• Editorial Team of Webzine

The Japanese Military “Comfort Women” and the Multilayeredness of Coercion

How has our understanding of “coercion” in forced labor and the Japanese military “Comfort Women” system changed over time? This essay examines the multilayered nature of these issues, moving beyond nationalist narratives and historical denialism toward a broader understanding through the lens of universal human rights.

• 2026-10-13
• Jie-Hyun Lim

“Comfort Women” Issue and Japanese Legislative Movement Part 1

All things considered, Japan must bear responsibility as a nation. To reignite the movement, a civic movement aimed at achieving legislative resolution was needed. In December 1996, the “Gathering for Legislative Resolution of the “Comfort Women” Issue” was established, with Attorney Tsuchiya Koken as the Chairman, Professor Arai Shinichi from Surugadai University as the Vice Chairman, and Arimitsu Ken serving as the Secretariat Liaison.

• 2023-07-17
• Totsuka Etsuro (戶塚悅朗)

Japanese Military “Comfort Women” in the Dutch East Indies and the Batavia Temporary Court Martial

Notably, the Batavia Court Martial adjudicated a case involving the Japanese military’s exploitation of Dutch women as “Comfort Women.” This stood as the only trial that addressed perpetrators who abducted women for the purpose of forced prostitution among post-World War II war crime tribunals under international law.

• 2023-04-03
• Moon Jihie

“Comfort Women” Issue and Japanese Legislative Movement Part 2

The male-centric society in Japan is the root cause of the “Comfort Women” issue. Ultimately, I am convinced that this structural problem is why the Japanese National Diet has been unable to enact legislation on its own.

• 2023-07-24
• Totsuka Etsuro (戶塚悅朗)