Japan's wartime brothels were wrong, says 91-year-old veteran

Mehar · May 23, 2013

(Reuters) - When Masayoshi Matsumoto joined the Japanese army in 1943 and was sent to occupied China as a medic, he thought he was taking part in a righteous war to free Asia from the yoke of Western imperialism.

Seven decades later, the 91-year-old retired Christian pastor says it's his mission to speak out about the injustice of the war and the sufferings of women, mostly Asian and many Korean, forced to work in Japanese wartime military brothels.

"I feel like a war criminal. It is painful to speak of such things and I would rather cover it up. It is painful, but I must speak," the slender, white-haired Matsumoto told Reuters in an interview at his daughter's home about 40 km (25 miles) from Tokyo.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/23/us-japan-history-women-idUSBRE94M04720130523

Slipdigit · May 23, 2013

That is a good man.

George Patton · May 24, 2013

Two Korean former sex slaves demanded the resignation of an outspoken Japanese mayor and canceled a meeting with him Friday for justifying Japan's wartime practice of forcing tens of thousands of Asian women into prostitution for its military.

Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto, also co-leader of a nationalist party, enraged Japanese neighbors last week by saying the use of so-called comfort women, mainly from South Korea, China and the Philippines, in frontline brothels before and during World War II was considered necessary then to maintain military discipline and give soldiers relief.

Hashimoto told reporters later Friday that the cancellation was "very unfortunate" but that he respects their feelings. He said he had hoped to show his sympathy over their wartime sufferings as sex slaves, and would have apologized for hurting their feelings because of his remarks that he said were misrepresented by the media.
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http://www.military.com/daily-news/2013/05/24/2-wwii-sex-slaves-demand-mayor-quit-over-remarks.html?ESRC=eb.nl

Tamino · May 24, 2013

Slipdigit said:

That is a good man.
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... but, unfortunately, he needed too long time to become a good man. Better than never.

Furthermore, it is an euphemism to say "brothel"; In brothels work professionals who have chosen that particular profession and make money for their services like other "ordinary" people. What Japanese Imperial army did is an organized mass rape.

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Japan's wartime brothels were wrong, says 91-year-old veteran

Mehar Ace

Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

George Patton Canadian Refugee

Tamino Doc - The Deplorable

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