This new document reveals that elder staff officers of every military generally granted requests to establish spirits station, and you may professionals officers out-of under tools produced a strategy and transmitted it. 4 Spirits channels would be to be taken exclusively for troops and you will officers. Japan armed forces made use of multiple justifications to possess starting the machine: to increase army spirits; to manage the newest choices of your troops; to incorporate venereal problems among soldiers; and prevent rapes of the Japanese soldiers, ergo steering clear of the increase of hostility one of the population regarding filled elements. 5

Although not, once the Japanese military proceeded armed forces extension regarding the late 1930s, they turned to neighborhood people in the filled parts, like Korea, Taiwan, and China, so you’re able to coerce ladies to your serving intimately in these station

Comfort stations was indeed mainly based first-in Shanghai into the 1932, then during the Japan, Asia, the latest Philippines, Indonesia, Malaya, Thailand, Burma, East The latest Guinea, Hong kong, Macau, French Indochina, and other regionsfort programs was mainly based regardless of where the japanese troops went. 6

The story out of Yong Soo Lee

Within the 1938, the japanese army began to make use of Japanese or regional agents to “recruit” women, especially in Korea and you will Taiwan. It had been popular that those agencies otherwise their subcontractors carry out go in one town to some other, procuring 40 to 50 young girls at the same time. Once they covered sufficient people, they might posting these to Asia or any other combat zones. The best means to fix “recruit” young girls within the Korea is actually deceit, that is, and also make untrue claims regarding a career since the factory workers, nurses, washing workers, otherwise kitchen area helpers into the The japanese or any other Japanese-filled areas. Usually, dilies was tricked by this “recruiting” and would not understand genuine nature of work up until these were removed for the a comfort station. eight

Towards the the termination of the battle, the military made use of the police in order to procure people. Many young girls was in fact artificially drawn. We are able to observe a female are removed up against the girl often to be a therapy lady into the Yong Soo Lee’s tale. 8 Lee is certainly one of three survivors which affirmed up until the United states House of Representatives’ International Interactions Committee throughout the violations of its municipal legal rights because of the Japanese government. It testimony lead to the latest passage through of brand new nonbinding United states Home Solution 121 (2007), urging Japan to simply accept full responsibility on the tips of their armed forces. The newest victims’ personal stories regarding testimony provide us with a great stunning picture of this terrible tragedy.

Lee lived in Taegu, Korea, around Japanese community in early 1940s. This lady family unit members is poor, and you can she gotten only 1 seasons away from authoritative knowledge. She began in a manufacturing plant to support their family unit members from the age 13. On autumn regarding 1944, whenever she is sixteen years of age, she and a buddy was in fact delivered to Taiwan, in which these were forced to become sexual submissives for the Japanese military. She remembers one to a good Japanese guy found their home and you can named the girl to come aside. Lacking the knowledge of in which she is supposed or as to the reasons, she try removed from the Japanese soldiers. She came across around three other female, in addition they have been every put on a subway. It went along to Kyongju first, upcoming to help you P’yongan State in north Korea. For the excursion, Japanese troops strike and you will kicked them, and you may she sometimes lost awareness. Towards the a ship and you may once more a train, she is taken to Dalian, Shanghai, and finally Taiwan. Various formal data and testimony confirmed that comfort people was directed by the armed forces cargo vessels from Japan and you may Korea to numerous locations from the China–Pacific area. It means that Japan’s Ministry away from Combat is individually doing work in hauling those lady in order to war zones, as it is impractical to explore people Japanese military ships instead new ministry’s permission. nine