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Global Views 187 World Famous Scholars Urge Japan Not to Distort "Confort Women" Issue "Denying Comfort Women ls Unacceptable," They Argue Staff Writer women¡± system was distinguished by its large scale and systematic management under the military, and by its exploitation of young, poor, and vulnerable women in areas colonized or occupied by Japan.There is no easy path to a ¡°correct history.¡± Much of the archive of the Japanese imperial military was destroyed. The actions of local procurers who provided women to the military may never have been recorded. But historians have unearthed numerous documents demonstrating the military¡¯s involvement in the transfer of women and oversight of brothels. Important evidence also comes from the testimony of victims. Although their stories are diverse and affected by the inconsistencies of memory, the aggregate record they offer is compelling and supported by official documents as well as by the accounts of soldiers and others.Historians disagree over the precise number of ¡°comfort women,¡± which will probably never be known for certain. Establishing sound estimates of victims is important. But ultimately, whether the numbers are judged to have been in the tens of thousands or the hundreds of thousands will not alter the fact of the exploitation carried out throughout the Japanese empire and its war zones.Some historians also dispute how directly the Japanese military was involved, and whether women were coerced to become ¡°comfort women.¡± Yet the evidence makes clear that large numbers of women were held against their will and subjected to horrific brutality. Employing legalistic arguments focused on particular terms or isolated documents to challenge the victims¡¯ testimony both misses the fundamental issue of their brutalization and ignores the larger context of the inhumane system that exploited them.Like our colleagues in Japan, we believe that only careful weighing and contextual evaluation of every trace of the past can produce a just history. Such work must resist national and gender bias, and be free from government manipulation, censorship, and private intimidation. We defend the freedom of historical inquiry, and we call upon all governments to do the same.Many countries still struggle to acknowledge past injustices. It took over forty years for the United States government to compensate Japanese-Americans for their internment during World War II. The promise of equality for African Americans was not realized in US law until a century after the abolition of slavery, and the reality of racism remains ingrained in American society. None of the imperial powers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including the United States, the European nations, and Japan, can claim to have sufficiently reckoned with their histories of racism, colonialism, and war, or with the suffering they inflicted on countless civilians around the world.Japan today values the life and rights of every individual, including the most vulnerable. The Japanese government would not tolerate the exploitation of women in a system like the military ¡°comfort stations¡± now, either overseas or at home. Even at the time, some officials protested on moral grounds. But the wartime regime compelled absolute sacrifice of the individual to serve the state, causing great suffering to the Japanese people themselves as well as to other Asians. No one should have to suffer such conditions again.This year presents an opportunity for the government of Japan to show leadership by addressing Japan¡¯s history of colonial rule and wartime aggression in both words and action. In his April address to the US Congress, Prime Minister Abe spoke of the universal value of human rights, of the importance of human security, and of facing the suffering that Japan caused other countries. We applaud these sentiments and urge the Prime Minister to act boldly on all of them.The process of acknowledging past wrongs strengthens a democratic society and fosters cooperation among nations. Since the equal rights and dignity of women lie at the core of the ¡°comfort women¡± issue, its resolution would be a historic step toward the equality of women and men in Japan, East Asia and the world.In our classrooms, students from Japan, Korea, China and elsewhere discuss these difficult issues with mutual respect and probity. Their generation will live with the record of the past that we bequeath them. To help them build a world free of sexual violence and human trafficking, and to promote peace and friendship in Asia, we must leave as full and unbiased an accounting of past wrongs as possible.SIGNED,Daniel Aldrich, Professor of Political Science, Purdue University.Jeffrey Alexander, Associate Professor of History, University of Wisconsin-Parkside.Anne Allison, Professor of Cultural Anthropology, Duke University.Marnie Anderson, Associate Professor of History, Smith College.E. Taylor Atkins, Presidential Teaching Professor of History, Northern Illinois University.Paul D. Barclay, Associate Professor of History and Asian Studies Program Chair, Lafayette College.Jan Bardsley, Associate Professor of Asian Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.James R. Bartholomew, Professor, Department of History, The Ohio State University.Brett de Bary, Professor, Asian Studies and Comparative Literature, Cornell University.Michael Baskett, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Film and Media Studies, University of KansasAlan Baumler, Professor of History, Indiana University of Pennsylvania.Alexander R. Bay, Associate Professor, History Department, Chapman University.Theodore C. Bestor, Professor of Social Anthropology, Harvard University.Victoria Bestor, Director of the North American Coordinating Council on Japanese Library Resources.Davinder Bhowmik, Associate Professor of Asian Languages and Literature, University of Washington.Herbert Bix, Professor Emeritus of History and Sociology, Binghamton University.Daniel Botsman, Professor of History, Yale University.Michael Bourdaghs, Professor of Japanese Literature, East Asian Languages and Civilizations, University of Chicago.Thomas Burkman, Research Professor of Asian Studies Emeritus, SUNY Buffalo.Susan L. Burns, Associate Professor of History, East Asian Languages and Civilizations, University of Chicago.Eric Cazdyn, Distinguished Professor of Aesthetics and Politics, Department of East Asian Studies & Centre for Comparative Literature, University of Toronto.Parks M. Coble, Professor of History, University of Nebraska, Lincoln.Haruko Taya Cook, Instructor of Languages and Cultures, William Paterson University.Theodore F. Cook, Professor of History, William Paterson UniversityBruce Cumings, Professor of History, University of Chicago.Katarzyna Cwiertka, Professor of Modern Japanese Studies, Universiteit LeidenCharo D'Etcheverry, Associate Professor of Japanese Literature, University of Wisconsin-MadisonEric Dinmore, Associate Professor of History, Hampden-Sydney CollegeLucia Dolce, Chair, Centre for the Study of Japanese Religions, University of London, SOASRonald P. Dore, Honorary Fellow, London School of EconomicsJohn W. Dower, Professor Emeritus of History, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMark Driscoll, Professor of East Asian Studies, UNC, Chapel HillPrasenjit Duara, Raffles Professor of Humanities, National University of SingaporeAlexis Dudden, Professor of History, University of Connecticut. ! Martin Dusinberre, Professor of Global History, University of ZürichPeter Duus, Professor of History (Emeritus), Stanford UniversitySteve Ericson, Associate Professor of History, Dartmouth CollegeElyssa Faison, Associate Professor, University of Oklahoma. ! Norma Field, Professor Emerita of East Asian Studies, University of ChicagoW. Miles Fletcher, Professor of History, University of North Carolina, Chapel HillPetrice R. Flowers, Associate Professor Political Science, University of HawaiiJoshua A. Fogel, Professor of History, York University, Toronto.Sarah Frederick, Associate Professor of Japanese and Comparative Literature, Boston UniversityDennis J. Frost, Wen Chao Chen Associate Professor of East Asian Studies, Kalamazoo CollegeSabine Fruhstuck, Professor of Modern Japanese Cultural Studies, University of California, Santa BarbaraJames Fujii, Associate Professor, East Asian Languages and Literatures, University of California, IrvineTakashi Fujitani, Professor of History, University of Toronto. ! Sheldon M. Garon, Professor of History and East Asian Studies, Princeton UniversityTimothy S. George, Professor of History, University of Rhode IslandChristopher Gerteis, Chair, Japan Research Centre, SOAS, University of LondonCarol Gluck, Professor of History, Columbia UniversityAndrew Gordon, Professor of History, Harvard UniversityHelen Hardacre, Professor of Religions and Society, Harvard UniversityHarry Harootunian, Emeritus Professor of History, New York University; Adjunct Professor of Japanese History, Columbia UniversityTsuyoshi Hasegawa, Professor of History, University of California at Santa BarbaraAkiko Hashimoto, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of PittsburghSally A. Hastings, Associate Professor of History, Purdue UniversityTom Havens, Professor of History, Northeastern University. ! Kenji Hayao, Associate Professor, Political Science Department, Boston CollegeLaura Hein, Professor of History, Northwestern University. ! Robert Hellyer, Associate Professor of History, Wake Forest CollegeManfred Henningsen, Professor of Political Science, University of Hawaii at ManoaChristopher L. Hill, Assistant Professor of Japanese Literature, University of MichiganKatsuya Hirano, Associate Professor of History, UCLADavid L. Howell, Professor of Japanese History, Harvard UniversityDouglas Howland, Professor of History, University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeJames L. Huffman, H. Orth Hirt Professor of History Emeritus, Wittenberg UniversityJanet Hunter, Saji Professor of Economic History, London School of Economics and Political ScienceAkira Iriye, Professor Emeritus, Harvard UniversityRebecca Jennison, Professor, Department of Humanities, Kyoto Seika UniversityWilliam Johnston, Professor of History, Wesleyan University.John Junkerman, Documentary FilmmakerIkumi Kaminishi, Associate Professor of Art and Art History, Tufts UniversityKen Kawashima, Associate Professor of East Asian Studies, University of TorontoWilliam W. Kelly, Professor of Anthropology, Yale UniversityJames Ketelaar, Professor of History, University of ChicagoR. Keller Kimbrough, Associate Professor, University of Colorado at BoulderMiriam Kingsberg, Assistant Professor of History, University of ColoradoJeff Kingston, Director of Asian Studies and Professor of History, Temple University JapanVictor Koschmann, Professor of History, Cornell UniversityEmi Koyama, Independent Scholar, Japan-U.S. Feminist Network for Decolonization (FeND)Ellis S. Krauss, Professor Emeritus, University of California, San DiegoJosef Kreiner, Professor Emeritus, Rheinische Freidrich-Wilhelms Universität Bonn ! Shigehisa Kuriyama, Reischauer Institute Professor of Cultural History, Harvard UniversityPeter Kuznick, Professor of History and Director, Nuclear Studies Institute, American UniversityThomas Lamarre, James McGill Professor, East Asian Studies , Art History and Communications Studies, McGill UniversityAndrew Levidis, Fellow, Reischauer Institute, Harvard UniversityIlse Lenz, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Ruhr University Bochum, GermanyMark Lincicome, Associate Professor, Department of History, College of the Holy CrossSepp Linhart, Professor Emeritus of Japanese Studies and Sociology, University of ViennaYukio Lippit, Professor of History of Art and Architecture, Harvard UniversityDr. Angus Lockyer, Lecturer in the History of Japan, Department of History, SOAS, University of LondonSusan Orpett Long, Professor of Anthropology, John Carroll UniversityDavid B. Lurie, Associate Professor of Japanese History and Literature, Columbia UniversityVera Mackie, Professor of Asian Studies, University of WollongongWolfram Manzenreiter, Professor of Japanese Studies, University of ViennaWilliam Marotti, Associate Professor of History, UCLAY. Tak Matsusaka, Professor of History, Wellesley CollegeTrent Maxey, Associate Professor of Asian Languages and Civilizations and History, Amherst CollegeJames L. McClain Professor of History, Brown UniversityGavan McCormack, Professor Emeritus of History, Australian National UniversityMelissa McCormick, Professor, Harvard UniversityDavid McNeill, Journalist and Professor, Sophia UniversityMark Metzler, Professor of History, University of Texas at AustinIan J. Miller, Professor of History, Harvard UniversityLaura Miller, Ei¡¯ichi Shibusawa-Seigo Arai Endowed Professor of Japanese Studies, University of Missouri-St. LouisJanis Mimura, Associate Professor, State University of New York, Stony BrookRichard H. Minear, Professor of History (Emeritus), University of Massachusetts AmherstYuki Miyamoto, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, DePaul UniversityBarbara Molony, Professor of History, Santa Clara UniversityYumi Moon, Associate Professor of History, Stanford UniversityAaron Moore, Lecturer in East Asian History, The University of ManchesterTessa Morris-Suzuki, Professor of Japanese History, Australian National UniversityAurelia George Mulgan, Professor of Japanese Politics, University of New South WalesR. Taggart Murphy, Professor, International Political Economy, University of Tsukuba, Tokyo CampusTetsuo Najita, Professor Emeritus of History, University of Chicago Miri Nakamura, Associate Professor of Japanese Literature, College of East Asian Studies, Wesleyan UniversityJohn Nathan, Takashima Professor of Japanese Cultural Studies, University of California, Santa BarbaraChristopher Nelson, Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillSatoko Oka Norimatsu, Editor, Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan FocusMarkus Nornes, Professor of Asian Cinema, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.David Tobaru Obermiller, Associate Professor, Department of History & Japanese Studies Program, Gustavus Adolphus CollegeEiko Otake, Visiting artist, Wesleyan UniversitySimon Partner, Professor of History, Duke UniversityT.J. Pempel, Jack M. Forcey Professor of Political Science for Study of East Asian Politics, University of California, Berkeley.Matthew Penney, Associate Professor, Concordia University. ! Samuel E. Perry, Associate Professor of East Asian Studies, Brown University.Catherine Phipps, Associate Professor, University of Memphis ! Leslie Pincus, Associate Professor of History, University of MichiganMorgan Pitelka, Associate Professor and Director of the Carolina Asia Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillJanet Poole, Associate Professor of East Asian Studies, University of Toronto.Roger Pulvers, Author and Translator, Sydney, Australia.Steve Rabson, Professor Emeritus of East Asian Studies, Brown UniversityFabio Rambelli, Chair, Department of East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies and Professor of Japanese Religions and Cultural History, University of California, Santa BarbaraMark Ravina, Professor of History, Emory UniversitySteffi Richter, Professor of East Asian Studies, Universität LeipzigLuke Roberts, Professor of History, University of California Santa BarbaraJennifer Robertson, Professor of Anthropology and History of Art, University of MichiganJay Rubin, Professor Emeritus, Harvard UniversityKen Ruoff, Professor of History and Director of the Center for Japanese Studies, Portland State UniversityJordan Sand, Professor of History, Georgetown UniversityWesley Sasaki-Uemura, Associate Professor of Japanese History, University of UtahEllen Schattschneider, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Women¡¯s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Brandeis UniversityAndre Schmid, Associate Professor of East Asian Studies, University of TorontoAmanda C. Seaman, Associate Professor of Japanese and Director of Comparative Literature, University of Massachusetts AmherstEthan Segal, Associate Professor of History, Michigan State UniversityWolfgang Seifert, Professor Emeritus of Japanese Studies, University of HeidelbergMark Selden, Senior Research Associate, Cornell University; Editor, Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan FocusFranziska Seraphim, Associate Professor of History, Boston CollegeSayuri Guthrie Shimizu, Professor of History, Rice University. ! Eiko Maruko Siniawer, Associate Professor of History, Williams CollegePatricia Sippel, Professor, Toyo Eiwa UniversityRichard Smethurst, Professor Emeritus of History, University of PittsburghKerry Smith, Associate Professor of History, Brown University. ! Daniel Sneider, Associate Director for Research, Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, Stanford UniversityM. William Steele, Professor of History, International Christian UniversityBrigitte Steger, Senior Lecturer in Modern Japanese Studies, University of CambridgeStefan Tanaka, Professor of Communication, University of California, San DiegoAlan Tansman, Professor of Japanese Literature, University of California BerkeleySarah Thal, Associate Professor of History, University of Wisconsin-MadisonMichael F. Thies, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, UCLAMark Tilton, Associate Professor of Political Science, Purdue UniversityJulia Adeney Thomas, Associate Professor of History, University of Notre DameJohn Whittier Treat, Emeritus Professor, Yale University; Professor, Ewha Womans UniversityHitomi Tonomura, Professor of History, University of MichiganJun Uchida, Associate Professor of History, Stanford UniversityJ. Keith Vincent, Associate Professor of Japanese and Comparative Literature, Boston UniversityStephen Vlastos, Professor of History, University of IowaEzra F. Vogel, Professor Emeritus, Harvard UniversityKlaus Vollmer, Professor of Japanese Studies, LMU Munich UniversityAnne Walthall, Professor Emerita of History, University of California, IrvineMax Ward, Assistant Professor of History, Middlebury CollegeLori Watt, Associate Professor of History, Washington University in St. LouisGennifer Weisenfeld, Professor, Duke UniversityMichael Wert, Associate Professor, Marquette UniversityKären Wigen, Professor of History, Stanford UniversityTomomi Yamaguchi, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Montana State UniversitySamuel H. Yamashita, Henry E. Sheffield Professor of History, Pomona CollegeDaqing Yang, Associate Professor, George Washington UniversityChristine Yano, Professor of Anthropology, University of Hawaii at ManoaMarcia Yonemoto, Associate Professor of History, University of Colorado BoulderLisa Yoneyama, Professor of East Asian Studies, University of TorontoTheodore Jun Yoo, Associate Professor of History, University of HawaiiTakashi Yoshida, Professor, Western Michigan University.Louise Young, Professor of History, University of Wisconsin-MadisonEve Zimmerman, Barbara Morris Caspersen Associate Professor of Humanities & Associate Professor of Japanese, Wellesley UniversityReinhard Zöllner, Professor of Japanese and Korean Studies, University of Bonn Editor's Note:This statement emerged from an open forum held at the Association for Asian Studies annual meeting held in Chicago during March 2015, and from subsequent discussions on line among a wide range of Japan scholars. It represents the opinions only of those who have signed it and not of any organization or institution. ![]() "White Chrysanthemum" by Mary Lynn Bracht Japanese Activist Blames Japanese Gov't, Press ... ¡°Tears Are Still Streaming Out of My Eyes," ... Japanese Scholar Apologizes to Comfort Women ... Will the Real Feminists Please Stand Up? "I Can't Drink Milk! It Reminds Me of Sperm of ... Japan and South Korea Relations: Comfort Women ... "Comfort Women" Tell Their Story in ... "Comfort Women" Tell of Their Horrible Story ... Serious Historical Error about Comfort Woman Japan High Court Orders NHK Redress over ... Korean WWII Sex Slaves Fight On "Japan Boiled Comfort Woman to Make Soup" In New Texts, Lessons in Rising Nationalism
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