One of the most horrific and often overlooked war crimes of the 20th century is the story of the "comfort women"—a euphemism for the hundreds of thousands of girls and women who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. For decades, their suffering was silenced or denied. But their stories reveal a system of state-sanctioned abuse, rape, and human trafficking that shattered lives and left scars that still remain.
Systematic Slavery Disguised as “Service”
Beginning in the early 1930s and escalating during Japan’s military expansion across Asia, the Japanese government and army established “comfort stations”—military brothels—across occupied territories. These brothels were filled with women and girls forcibly recruited or abducted from countries like Korea, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, and beyond. Some were just 13 or 14 years old.
Many were told they’d be working as nurses or factory laborers. Instead, they were imprisoned and forced to “serve” dozens of soldiers every single day. There was no escape. Those who resisted were beaten, tortured, or killed.
Unimaginable Suffering Behind Closed Doors
Life inside a comfort station was a nightmare of endless sexual violence. Survivors describe being raped 10 to 50 times a day, seven days a week. There was no rest, no choice, and no protection from disease, injury, or death. Women became ill from repeated assaults, suffered permanent internal damage, and contracted venereal diseases without any medical treatment.
Pregnancy was common—but rarely allowed. Forced abortions were routine, and in some cases, babies were killed immediately after birth. If a woman became too sick to perform, she was often discarded, executed, or left to die.
A War Crime Hidden in Shame
After Japan’s surrender in 1945, most comfort women were abandoned. Many were left stranded in foreign countries, traumatized, and shunned by their own communities. Because of stigma and fear, many survivors stayed silent for decades.
Japan denied official responsibility for years, framing the comfort women system as voluntary prostitution—a claim widely discredited by historians and survivors alike. It wasn’t until the 1990s that former comfort women began to come forward, demanding justice and acknowledgment.
A Fight for Justice That Continues Today
Despite overwhelming evidence, Japan has still not issued a full legal apology or compensation acceptable to most survivors. In 2015, a controversial agreement between Japan and South Korea attempted to close the issue, but many survivors rejected it, calling it insufficient and insincere.
Statues of comfort women now stand in places like Seoul, Manila, and San Francisco—symbols of both resistance and remembrance. The fight to honor their suffering and tell their stories continues, led by activists, scholars, and survivors themselves.