Very few state actors are in a good position, I admit. But if the eradication of war is the goal, then by its actions (if not its words), Japan is a model of a former militarized country that has embraced the pursuit of peace. Of course, the study and acknowledgment of historical wrongs committed is important. Rather than condemnations, I think it would be more productive for neutral scholars to expose as much evidence of the effects of war for the historical record as possible. As adults, we should be willing to look at photos of victims of war with their bodies horribly mangled beyond recognition. Beyond a certain point, dry numbers are insufficient to cultivate a proper hatred of war. We need to be constantly reminded in a visceral way just why we should want to avoid warfare. (That’s not to say all wars are the worst choice to make in all cases. Defeating Hitler is the classic example of a righteous war.) In the case of Japan, efforts should be made to teach history as well as collect and preserve it – from perpetrators and victims – for posterity. I reiterate though that such efforts should be led by domestic forces if possible. And therein lies the catch I suppose.

This is the thing about wars. The innocent really suffer and after the fact, we argue about who should apologize and who shouldn’t and why someone shouldn’t have to apologize . . . and people live with scars.

When I was growing up, my mother used to say that if she had one wish, it would be to eradicate war (she remembered the tail end of WWII and lived through the awful years afterward). I used to think she was being overdramatic. Then I really tried to read through some history texts. I have friends now who work in very dangerous parts of the world. And they all say the same thing; they wish they could eradicate war for the sake of children and women. And these are really tough, hardened men who rarely shed a tear.

I am not sure how useful it is to discuss who should or should not apologize and why because the victims are often forgotten in that kind of a debate. And I think that’s wrong.

I absolutely agree with this comment. And pressure and encouragement toward this end should be brought to bear on the Japanese, preferably by domestic forces. However, Congress is hardly in a position at this point in time to criticize the Japanese at least on this narrowly defined issue.

And yet, it is important to reconcile the past and try to push forward legislation that will protect the innocent in the future.

Since the end of WWII, American soldiers have been among the largest consumers of exploited women and girls. Korean Comfort Women, sexually imprisoned by the Japanese, were not the only victims of the Second World War. In Tokyo, as soon as our men landed in August l945, destitute, homeless, and unprotected girls were rounded up and forced into “Comfort Stations” by both the Japanese and American authorities. Most of these “Occupation Comfort Women” were teenage girls, and most were virgins. They were forced to service anywhere from 15 to 60 American soldiers a day. One dispassionate official’s report describes a girl that 50 soldiers lined up to use as “busy,” as if she were baking a cake or doing her homework.

When the girls tired to escape, they were pushed back into the brothels by our Military Police. Even when they cried and showed how terrified they were, the American boys still used them. Some were raped into unconsciousness. The conditions were so unbearable that some girls committed suicide. (Sources for Occupation Comfort Girl material: Historians John Dower, George Hicks, and Yuki Tanaka.)

Chapter “RAPE IN WAR”

“During the occupation of Japan, Japanese women were subjected to mass rape by the soldiers of the occupation forces starting on the first day, August 21, 1945. Over a period of ten days, 1,336 cases of rape were reported. In one instance a woman was raped by twenty-seven US soldiers. In Hiroshima, occupied by the British and Commonwealth Forces, many Japanese women were raped. One young woman was raped by twenty Australian soldiers. On August 21, 1945, Japanese authorities decided to set up a Recreation and Amusement Association (RAA) for the benefit of Allied occupation troops in an attempt to cut down the instances of rape. At its peak, around 20,000 prostitutes worked for the RAA.”

Having said that, there were also plenty of court martials in the European theater after VE day for all sorts of crimes committed by Allied soldiers. It’s the price of using a draft to fill the ranks. As such, it would hardly be surprising if violent crimes were committed by American and other Allied soldiers against civilians in Japan during the Occupation. On the other hand, from what I understand, MacArthur essentially rejected battle-hardened soldiers from serving in Japan as Occupation soldiers out of a very reasonable fear that there would be too many retributive acts carried out.

You will find sentences like “Ruxton was trying to dismiss rape claims, but in fact rapists flourished in the ‘one big brothel’” or “A doctor and two nurses were working to revive her. An hour before she had been raped by twenty soldiers … The hospital was in Hiroshima. The girl was Japanese. The soldiers were Australians.”

An American reporter?

How about naming your sources?

Upon request of Department of the Interior, GHQ ordered Tokyo (not Japan) to establish brothels to reduce rapes. After Korean war broke out, Japan had to establish brothels in three cities other than tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka (or Nara) and Kokura. The brothels were administered by American army.

This situation is very similar to that of Japanese army during WWII!

Ordinary Japanese (and Americans) do not know the fact partly because there was no freedom of press under the occupation of Allied Forces and partly because Japan had no right of justice against American crimes.

It is well known that American army had brothels in Vietnam, authorized by Pentagon, as reported by an american? reporter.

What do you think?

Men need women. Comfort women work for money. I do not understand why only Japanese soldiers are rebuked for having had prostitutes around.

HOWEVER, having said all that, there is the REAL mental anguish and first person experience, that the women, now old and dying along with those inflictors, have lived with their whole lives.
In this case, apology should serve to appease them, no one else no? and no matter how many times the apology happens, if the victims don’t feel appeased, or genuinely believe it’s apology from the heart, it’s not fulfilling its function no? these are not women out to extract money, or fame, come on people!
if there is rape or murder in our everyday society, we put people to jail.
the raped do not get “aplogies” but they get “appeasement” that at least the criminals are getting what they deserve(of course this is an idealized scenario)
however, during the crazy times of war, the NATION is guilty. especially in this case. ABE is WRONG. it’s not some private enterprise set up for supply and demand , and it is PREPOSTEROUS to even contemplate comparisons to the brothels around the US bases in korea.
in my heart, i hope that there will come a day when the women and younger koreans on behalf of those who suffered will be able to say to those japanese who apologize on behalf of what their nation has done, it’s ok, you are genuinely sorry, you are genuinely aware and baffled that humanity is capable of such evil as we have been, all these years…thanks for trying to understand what pains we all went through instead of “blocking it out because otherwise you would find it just as hard to live with”