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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Toru Hashimoto/Comfort women (Japan) Shocking comments re enforced prostitution.

10 replies

NishiNoUsagi · 29/05/2013 01:10

Have also posted this in Chat, (Reason I'm glad I left Japan), apologies for the duplication!

Top of the list today (and replacing the usual front runner of "cockroaches") is Osaka mayor Toru Hashimoto.

"On Monday, Mr Hashimoto appeared before foreign journalists in Tokyo to explain comments he made about Japan's wartime use of "comfort women", the tens of thousands of women who worked in brutal conditions in Japanese military brothels, often after having been tricked or coerced into service.
Mr Hashimoto caused outrage this month when he appeared to defend the exploitation as a necessary and even justifiable outlet for soldiers in wartime."

"Japanese press transcripts of his original remarks..quote him as saying that, given the stress and danger experienced by soldiers in battle, "anyone can understand that the comfort women system was necessary".
Mr Hashimoto further undermined his credibility by saying that US soldiers on Okinawa should use the island's "adult entertainment industry" in order to reduce incidences of sexual assault on local women.

(clickly link for this article doesn't work, but it can be found in the Financial Times - (ft.com) Asia-Pacific section, article dated 27th May. BBC has a less aggressive take on it here;

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22519384

Unbelievable
Unfortunately that's just the tip of a huge misogynistic iceberg..

Here's a wiki link with background about comfort women
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comfort_women

It's so fucked up on so many levels.

There's the lack of apology, him trying to explain it as "Oh well, the poor men were stressed, what else could you expect them to do but rape!" Absolutely sickening.

Then his comment about the rapes by American service men in Japan - that rather than going out and raping the locals, they should have better access to prostitutes - I mean, WTAF? No, rather than rape they should, well, not rape. If they do, don't give them access to prostitutes, lock the fuckers up! (the servicemen, obviously, not the prostitutes.) Men do not have to be controlled by their penises, does he seriously think, "Oh well, I don't have a girlfriend, can't seem to find a prostitute, oh sod it I'll go and rape someone."

Thankfully his party's popularity has plummented so well done Japan for that.

The man in question is a lawyer who became a bit of a tv "star" then decided to become a politician. He always came across as a sleazy fucker on tv, so not surprised to see him roll out tripe like this. He has 4 daughters fgs. I wonder what his feelings would be in they were ever "coerced" into prostitution - "Ah well, can't be helped, men do have needs after all."

I cannot stand this prick. Angry

OP posts:
NishiNoUsagi · 29/05/2013 01:13

Also a good article here from The Guardian

www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/may/15/japan-politicians-problem-comfort-women

Quote from that article "His succession of comments, some made on Twitter, is undeniably problematic, as it demonstrates his stance that for the operation of war, it is acceptable and necessary to violate the sexuality and human rights of the most socially vulnerable women."

Just shocking, really. Angry

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TheDoctrineOfSnatch · 29/05/2013 07:36

Christ, can he please start calling them what they were - women who were systematically raped. After all, he's stated that he knows it was happening against their will. Comfort women is a horrible phrase.

TanteRose · 29/05/2013 07:45

He is a complete and utter waste of space Angry

I don't know anyone here in Japan who agrees with what he said - and to think, he is mayor of one of the largest cities in the world.

It is more than embarrassing Angry

He then had a news conference at the Foreign Press Club in Tokyo on Monday

trying to deflect what he said

all the foreign journalists just seemed fed up of him - he really should just stop digging, shut up and resign.

only good thing is that his Restoration Party has taken a bashing and will hopefully lose support

TanteRose · 29/05/2013 07:46

Nishi, didn't see your post in Chat

was Hashimoto really the reason you left Japan? Were you in Osaka?

NishiNoUsagi · 29/05/2013 09:53

Doctrine It's shocking isn't it! That, and the whole "Well, it couldn't be helped, the men needed it.." How is he even allowed to spout shite like this?

Tante He was not the reason I left Grin although I would have liked to have made that kind of stand! We came back to the UK as having 2 small children, not much support from in-laws (lovely but v busy people) and a DH never in the house due to crazy overtime was getting unbearable.

I think we left Japan just after Hashimoto turned from a "celebrity lawyer" into a politician, so wasn't really aware of any of his policies until now. We weren't in Osaka but were pretty close (next-but-one Shinkansen stop)

Are there any calls for him to resign?

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Italiangreyhound · 30/05/2013 02:11

Appalling.

CountryMama · 30/05/2013 03:01

I not justifying this at all but I think that sadly war and rape often go hand in hand. I used to live in a war zone where British service men were posted and I believe I saw evidence of forced prostitution. When I try to tell people at home they don't want to know... It's very in patriotic to blow the whistle on your own people! It's so sad! I was also listening to a radio 4 program this week about how prevalent rape of American service women is by their colleagues! Sick!

NishiNoUsagi · 30/05/2013 09:48

CountryMama Sadly seems to be true doesn't it. Sad I hadn't heard that about American service women, that is shocking.

The only point Hashimoto made that I agree with that is that it isn't just Japan that has ever done this, however.. he is the mayor of a major city. Imagine Boris Johnson standing up and saying "Well, these things happen, you can't really hold men accountable for things done in stressful situations." I just can't imagine it happening, without immediate calls for his resignation.

I wonder how people in Japan feel about him now. I tried talking to (Japanese) DH about it, he thinks the man is a sick idiot, but that I can't criticise Japan as "you don't know what was happening at that time, and anyway, some of the women may have been doing it willingly." My face was just Shock

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TanteRose · 30/05/2013 09:56

today's developments

I really hope he resigns...

none of the Japanese people that I know agree with him - everyone thinks he is just a complete twat!

jcscot · 30/05/2013 20:20

Countrymama - may I ask was the enforced prostitution you witnessed on the part of the British Forces (ie: they were running brothels) or was it a response to their presence (ie: locals running brothels that were used by servicemen)?

Either way, it's a disgusting thought. I know the concept of "comfort" women was widely used during WWII - the Russians and Germans did it as well as the Japanese and I've always thought it a horrible thing that soldiers who would fight to protect their own families would so easily violate the families of others.

Obviously, not all servicemen would have done this - surely some of them had some honour?

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