‘Comfort women’ issue likely to haunt Japan

This International Herald Tribune/Asahi column highlights how the unresolved issue of “comfort women” (women coerced into sexual servitude by Imperial Japan) continues to damage Japan’s image and diplomacy. Robert Dujarric notes that even in 2007, decades after the war, the US Congress was poised to pass a resolution criticizing Japan and urging a clear apology for the comfort women. Japan’s government had officially apologized in the 1990s, but Dujarric points out a critical problem: conflicting messages from Japanese leaders. While one hand offered remorse, the other – in the form of nationalist politicians and even ads signed by lawmakers – cast doubt on the coercion of these women or downplayed the atrocity.

This inconsistency, he argues, “seriously undermined” Japan’s credibility. It gave ammunition to those who claim Japan hasn’t truly faced its past, thus the issue keeps “haunting” Japan by fueling mistrust in South Korea, China, and even raising eyebrows among Western allies. Dujarric implies that until Japan’s stance is unequivocal – no backtracking or revisionism – the comfort women issue will resurface repeatedly, harming Japan’s relations and moral standing. Essentially, Japan’s forgetting or partial denial ensures others won’t forget. The piece is a warning that historical truth and consistency are necessary if Japan wants this ghost of history to finally be laid to rest and stop haunting its present.