The victims of the comfort women issue are the women who were forced into sexual servitude by the Japanese military during World War II. The perpetrators are the Japanese soldiers and military officials who abducted and raped these women (Soh 47). The Japanese government has never officially acknowledged or taken responsibility for the comfort women issue, which has led to a lot of pain and suffering for the victims.
Factors Led to Conflict Between China and Japan
The Korean War began on June 25, 1950. It was a war between the Communist forces of North Korea and South Korea, backed by China and the United States. The battle lasted until July 27, 1953, when an armistice agreement was signed by both sides (Hicks 24). China and Japan had a history of conflict dating back to the 19th century. During World War II, Japan invaded and occupied large parts of China. In particular, Nanjing was captured on December 13, 1937, and held for three months before being recaptured by the Chinese army on January 9, 1938 (Hicks 36).
In addition to these historical tensions, many other factors led to conflict between China and Japan following World War II. One major issue was that Japan had occupied much of China’s territory since 1931 when it annexed Korea under its rule (Chang 54). Another major problem was that because of its occupation of Korea from 1910-1945; it committed atrocious acts against both Koreans living within its borders and those living outside them (Chang 93). These issues, combined with other factors such as economic competition between these two countries, led to what became known as “The Rape of Nanking” during this period.
The Comfort Women
“The Rape of Nanking” refers to the mass murder and rape in Nanjing, China, during the Japanese occupation from 1937-1938. It is estimated that over 300,000 people were killed, and 20,000 women were raped during this time (Chang 18). The Japanese soldiers who committed these crimes were not brought to justice, and many returned to their homes in Japan after the war. In her article, Soh discusses how the Korean government has tried to downplay the experiences of comfort women by using the term “military sex slaves” instead of “comfort women.” She argues that this is done to avoid admitting that the Japanese military was responsible for their enslavement (147).
The Japanese government believed it had been given authority over China by God himself; therefore, anything it did would be justified (Soh 84). They used this belief system to explain their actions during World War II. The Japanese authorities thought that by growing their empire, they were acting in the interests of the Japanese people; the Japanese government similarly believed that its citizens were inferior to those of other nations. This belief system allowed the Japanese government to justify its actions during World War II. The Japanese government believed they were doing what was best for the people of Japan by expanding their empire.
Japan’s Alternative Vision of Modernity
In their textbook on world war 1900-1945, Von Sivers et al. describe how Japan viewed itself as a modernizing force during this time. He writes that for Japan, modernization meant “the development of new technologies for warfare; the creation of a strong economy; and the establishment of a democratic political system” (462). Von Sivers et al. say that these developments were part of what he calls “the modernizing process” (458). He says that Japan was not alone in pursuing these goals and that other countries, such as China, also saw themselves as modernizing forces. However, Von Sivers et al. argue that Japan’s modernizing process was different from that of other countries because it was more “aggressive” and “militaristic” (462).
Living Under Japanese Occupation
About a documentary called “In the Name of the Emperor”: A Tale from Occupied Japan (2003) by Maximilian Schell. The film focuses on one family’s experience living under Japanese occupation during World War II. Schell uses interviews with relatives and archival footage to demonstrate what life was like for them during those times. In addition, in her book Soh interviewed several former comfort women, and their stories provide first-hand accounts of the sexual violence they experienced while serving Japanese soldiers. The documentary “Behind Forgotten Eyes” uses several methods to evoke emotional responses. The filmmakers use anime—a Japanese animated film genre—to create a sense of urgency. They also rely on painting and music to build suspense. They also use historical photographs that show what life was like during wartime in Nanjing.
Victims and Perpetrators
The victims in this documentary were Chinese people who lived in Nanjing. They were subjected to Japanese brutality during wartime by being forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military. Many were killed by bayonets or diseases contracted from living in squalor and filth amidst their suffering. The perpetrators in this documentary included Japanese soldiers who committed atrocities against these Chinese citizens and local officials who turned a blind eye to their crimes. This is because they feared retaliation if they spoke out against them openly or refused to comply with any orders from higher-ups within the government ranks.
The Japanese government has never formally acknowledged that these comfort stations existed or that the women were forced into sexual servitude. In 1993, the Japanese government issued a statement admitting that the military was involved in establishing the comfort stations but denying that the women were forced into sexual servitude (Chang 98). This statement was seen as an insult by the Korean people and has led to ongoing tension between the two countries. In 2007, the Korean government formally apologized to comfort women and called on the Japanese government to do the same. In 2015, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stated that there was no evidence that the Japanese military was directly involved in the establishment of the comfort stations or that the women were forced into sexual servitude.
The Korean War was a tragic and devastating conflict; the war finally ended on July 27, 1953, with the signing of an armistice agreement. This agreement created the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which still exists today and serves as a buffer between North and South Korea. It is estimated that over two million people were killed during the war; The vast majority of these casualties were civilians. The war also had a profound impact on comfort women. Many of these women were taken from their homes in Korea and other Asian countries and forced into sexual servitude by the Japanese military. After the war, many of these women returned to their homes but could not forget what had happened to them.
Works Cited
Behind the Forgotten Eyes. Directed by Anthony Gilmore. Filmakers Library, 2008.
Chang, David Cheng. The Hijacked War. 2020. Crossref, Web.
Hicks, George. The Comfort Women: Japan’s Brutal Regime of Enforced Prostitution in the Second World War. WW Norton & Company, 1997.
In the Name of the Emperor. Directed by Christine Choy, Filmakers Library, 1997.
Soh, C. Sarah. The Comfort Women: Sexual Violence and Postcolonial Memory in Korea and Japan. University of Chicago Press, 2020.
Von Sivers, Peter, et al. Patterns of World History. Oxford University Press, USA, 2012.