Japan's Comfort Women

Japan's Comfort Women tells the harrowing story of the "comfort women" who were forced to enter prostitution to serve the Japanese Imperial army, often living in appalling conditions of sexual slavery. Using a wide range of primary sources, the author for the first time links military controlled prostitution with enforced prostitution. He uncovers new and controversial information about the role of the US' occupation forces in military controlled prostitution, as well as the subsequent "cover-up" of the existence of such a policy. This groundbreaking book asks why US occupation forces did little to help the women, and argues that military authorities organised prostitution to prevent the widespread incidence of GI rape of Japanese women, and to control the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

List of contents

Introduction; Chapter 1 The origins of the comfort women system; Chapter 2 Procurement of comfort women and their lives as sexual slaves; Chapter 3 Comfort women in the Dutch East Indies; Chapter 4 Why did the US forces ignore the comfort women issue?; Chapter 5 Sexual violence committed by the Allied occupation forces against Japanese women: 1945–1946; Chapter 6 Japanese comfort women for the Allied occupation forces; Epilogue; Notes; Index;

About the author

Tanaka, Yuki

Summary

This groundbreaking book will have a deep impact on the ongoing international debate which surrounds this highly controversial and emotive issue.

Product details

• Authors: Yuki Tanaka, Tanaka Yuki
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 21.12.2001
• EAN: 9780415194013
• ISBN: 978-0-415-19401-3
• No. of pages: 232
• Weight: 380 g
• Series: Routledge Studies in Asia's Transformations
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > General, dictionaries; Social sciences, law, business > Ethnology > Folklore; Japan, European History, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Women's Studies, HISTORY / Military / General, HISTORY / Europe / General, 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000, HISTORY / Asia / Japan, HISTORY / Women, Second World War, c 1938 to c 1946 (World War Two period), Asian History, Gender studies: women, Modern warfare, Gender studies: women and girls, HISTORY / Wars & Conflicts / World War II / General