My Theme: Body Politic and the Politics of the body.
Military Sexual Slaves in Korea during WWII
Research questions:
- Why hasn’t the government of Japan ever admitted that the Korean sexual slave system in WWII was established by the government of Japan?
Hunch
- What do I already know? The comfort women were from 11 to 40 years old. The Japanese soldiers deceived the women to bring and make sexual slaves. It occurred during World War II, and after finishing the war, many women could not come back to their family because they feel ashamed of what they had been done. There have not been systems for sex established by a government during wars in history of the world, except Japan.
- What do I believe? I believe this is horrible history. Even though it was in the past and most of the comfort women have passed away, the problem does not finish yet. Since the Japanese government have not admitted and had responsibility of it, we should figure out this problem. I believe if the wrong history did not fix, Korea and Japan could not become have a good relationship.
- What emotion do I feel about this question? I am furious because the Korea and Japan governments do not handle this problem well. Sometimes, I feel they use this issue for their politics. I am embarrassed because the problem is not only the Japanese government. Korean government also does not have responsibility for the our victims.
- What am I unsure about? How many does the former comfort women remain? How many are nongovernmental organizations there, and what do they do to solve the problem? What potential consequences will follow if the Japanese government admit their fault?
Accredited online sources:
1. http://www.awf.or.jp/e6/statement-16.html
: This paper shows the legal position of the Japanese government and it indicates how the Japanese government will deal with former wartime comfort women. The Japanese government supports Asian Women’s Fund, which set up for giving atonement money for former comfort women. The Japanese government provided 40 million to the organization. It means the Japanese government admits somewhat Japanese government established the sexual slavery system, and this point is important for here and now.
: This source provide basic information of the military sexual slavery system. I could the knowledge of who were they, where were the comfort stations, and which countries involved this issue. I had thought there are only comfort women from Korea and China before I read this source, but there are many women in many countries have same problem. I also was able to know the condition of the living the comfort stations in this source. I chose this source because I need to the background of this issue.
3. http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2016/01/120_195814.html
: In this article, I read Abe’s distorted perpective for the comfort women issue. He tried deny the fact and he tried to finish this dispute with Korea. That was a contradiction itself, because as he said if the women were willing to be comfort women in the past, and the Japanese government does not have the responsibility, then they do not need to try finish the dispute. Abe’s assertion was ridiculous, but he is the Prime Minister of Japan so I chose this article.
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- Accredited websites1. Interview: “comfort women” records as UNESCO heritage to spur vigilance: Scholar. 2016. Xinhua News Agency – CEIS, Jul 10, 2016, 2016.
: Since UNESCO is an accredited organization, I chose this article. Moreover, as its name a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, I hope I could find possible and positive solutions in the article for my essay. Another reason why I chose this, because it was records of the victims. Testimonies are significant to prove a crime against humanity.
2. Comfort women: Forgotten victims. 2004. Korea Herald, May 13, 2004, 2004.
: I agreed with the idea in the article, which was women need intensive protection law during wartime. According to the article this already decided at the Geneva Convention in 1929. Also individual victims should have the right to sue against government if they have been damaged physically or psychologically. I also wanted to know more about compensation from the Japanese government, so I chose this article.
- Books
1. Schmidt, David A. c2000. Ianfu, the comfort women of the japanese imperial army of the pacific war : Broken silence. Lewiston, N.Y.: Edwin Mellen Press.
: I chose this book, because the author of this book is neither Japanese or Korean. I am curious about the third perspective of this issue and there could be a little more political and cultural correctness. The author also a professor in both Japan and Korean, so I thought he could understand both countries view. This book approaches the issue in historical, political, and cultural way.
2. Japan.,Research Association on the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by. 1995. True stories of the korean comfort women : Testimonies compiled by the korean council for women drafted for military sexual slavery by japan and the research association on the women drafted for military sexual slavery by japan, ed. Keith Howard. London: Cassell.
: I chose this book because of the name, which was “True Stories…,” however, I requested the book but I haven’t received yet, so I do not know the contents. I will update when I have the book.
- Scholarly sources
- Soh, C. Sarah. 2003. Japan’s national/Asian women’s fund for “comfort women”. Pacific Affairs 76 (2) (Summer 2003): 209-33.
: Although some views are critical for NGOs because NGOs are “private fund,” these organizations important for protection and seeking individuals rights. They must be less powerful than NPO, national public organization, however, these NGOs have atempted to reveal the truth and have fight against the government for individual victims. I would like to talk about what could be solutions for this issue, so I need too know the organizations regarding the issue.
2. Takeuchi, Michiko. 2009. Pan -pan girls and GIs: The japan -U.S. military prostitution system in occupied japan (1945-1952). Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles.
: While I research the comfort women, I knew the Japanese government established the military sexual service system for U.S. Army after defeat. The organization was closed by General MacArthur, however, this was a counterevidence of the assertion on the Japanese government itself. This incident represent the Japanese government believes military soldiers need sex during wartime and government should offer the service. Pan-pan girls were the name prostitutes at that time. I would like to know this irrational idea of the Japanese government, so I chose this source.
- A video – director., Dai Sil Kim-Gibson film. 2014. Silence broken : Korean comfort women., ed. Kanopy. San Francisco, CA: Center for Asian American Media.
: This source is in the NYU library. I will go to there but I haven’t gone there yet. Instead I watched Arirang Special “Comfort Women” One Last Cry on YouTube. I watched this documentary because there are many testimonies of former sexual slaves. This was not scholar source and easy to understand. During the 50 minutes or so, many sad grandmothers motivated me with their unbelievable stories.
A documentary of Comfort Women
Story Board
- More Familiar to Least Familiar
2. Simple to Complex
I made two different storyboards for my research paper of “Military Sexual Slavery by Japan.” I prefer to use the second arrangement as my research paper. While I was arranging the contents, I felt the way of setup “simple to complex” was clearer for readers, because “more familiar and least familiar” was more about my perspective then general. If it was not a research paper or it was my diary, the way of familiar and least familiar would be more proper. The two style of arrangements are slightly similar; however, “simple to complex” would be more understandable for everyone.
I’ve uploaded my research paper outline here: Military Sexual Slavery by Japan
I’ve uploaded my research paper outline here: Comprehensive Outline of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan
