The other day, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan denied that Japan’s military had forced foreign women into sexual slavery (better known euphemistically as “comfort women“) during World War II, contradicting the Japanese government’s previous 1993 statement that acknowledged the military’s role in setting up brothels and forcing women into sexual slavery.
This is just plain ridiculous and an outrage. It just so interesting that on one extreme, Germany’s national psyche is haunted by the Holocaust, while Japan revisits every so often and denies the occurrence very well documented existence of “comfort women” and The Rape of Nanjing. It is this kind of behavior and statements that continually raises mistrust and near term acceptance as Japan as a regional and political economic power and continues to threaten Japan’s legitimacy during China’s rise.
Better for Japan to repent fully and put this issue to bed than to continue to revisit and re-interpret history.
When will Japan ever learn?
- Excited
- Fascinated
- Amused
- Disgusted
- Sad
- Angry
