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| Japanese Politician Tries to Calm Furor Over Wartime Brothels | Japanese Politician Tries to Calm Furor Over Wartime Brothels |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| TOKYO — Seeking to quell an uproar over recent suggestions that sexual slavery was a necessary evil in Japan’s imperial past, a populist party leader said Monday that his comments were not meant to justify wartime brothels or deny the women’s suffering at the hands of Japanese soldiers. | TOKYO — Seeking to quell an uproar over recent suggestions that sexual slavery was a necessary evil in Japan’s imperial past, a populist party leader said Monday that his comments were not meant to justify wartime brothels or deny the women’s suffering at the hands of Japanese soldiers. |
| But Toru Hashimoto, who heads the opposition Japan Restoration Association and is mayor of Osaka, Japan’s third-largest city, also argued that Japan was being unfairly singled out for its use of so-called comfort women and that other nations needed to examine the mistreatment of women by their own militaries before pointing the finger at Tokyo. | But Toru Hashimoto, who heads the opposition Japan Restoration Association and is mayor of Osaka, Japan’s third-largest city, also argued that Japan was being unfairly singled out for its use of so-called comfort women and that other nations needed to examine the mistreatment of women by their own militaries before pointing the finger at Tokyo. |
| ‘'We must express our deep remorse at the violation of the human rights of these women by Japanese soldiers in the past, and make our apology to the women,’’ Mr. Hashimoto said. But he added, ‘‘It is not a fair attitude to blame only Japan, as if the violation of human rights of women by soldiers were a problem unique to Japanese soldiers.'’ | ‘'We must express our deep remorse at the violation of the human rights of these women by Japanese soldiers in the past, and make our apology to the women,’’ Mr. Hashimoto said. But he added, ‘‘It is not a fair attitude to blame only Japan, as if the violation of human rights of women by soldiers were a problem unique to Japanese soldiers.'’ |
| The conduct of the Japanese military in Asia before and during World War II remains a highly charged topic between Japan and its neighbors, who say Tokyo has not properly atoned for its history of wartime atrocities, and those like Mr. Hashimoto who feel that Japan has been demonized. | The conduct of the Japanese military in Asia before and during World War II remains a highly charged topic between Japan and its neighbors, who say Tokyo has not properly atoned for its history of wartime atrocities, and those like Mr. Hashimoto who feel that Japan has been demonized. |
| Some historians estimate that 200,000 women were rounded up from across Asia to work as comfort women for the Japanese military. Other historians put that number in the tens of thousands and say they served of their own will. Japan formally apologized to the comfort women in 1993. | |
| But Mr. Hashimoto charged that the United States, Britain, France, Germany, and the former Soviet Union were guilty of similar violations of women’s rights in World War II. | But Mr. Hashimoto charged that the United States, Britain, France, Germany, and the former Soviet Union were guilty of similar violations of women’s rights in World War II. |
| He also stood by an assertion shared by many Japanese, as well as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, that there was no evidence to suggest that Japan’s wartime government directly forced these women to serve in the brothels. He brushed aside testimony to the contrary from a number of former comfort women as unreliable. | He also stood by an assertion shared by many Japanese, as well as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, that there was no evidence to suggest that Japan’s wartime government directly forced these women to serve in the brothels. He brushed aside testimony to the contrary from a number of former comfort women as unreliable. |
| Mr. Hashimoto’s comments followed those of a string of Japanese politicians who have recently challenged what they say is a distorted view of Japan’s wartime history. Last month, Mr. Abe seemed to question whether Japan was the aggressor during the war, saying the definition of ‘'invasion'’ was relative. | Mr. Hashimoto’s comments followed those of a string of Japanese politicians who have recently challenged what they say is a distorted view of Japan’s wartime history. Last month, Mr. Abe seemed to question whether Japan was the aggressor during the war, saying the definition of ‘'invasion'’ was relative. |
| But even Mr. Abe and his cabinet have distanced themselves from Mr. Hashimoto in recent weeks as he tried to correct what he believes is an erroneous view of Japan’s wartime history. | But even Mr. Abe and his cabinet have distanced themselves from Mr. Hashimoto in recent weeks as he tried to correct what he believes is an erroneous view of Japan’s wartime history. |
| Mr. Hashimoto’s rants — sometimes in the form of an outpouring of dozens of posts on Twitter — have sparked furor from human rights groups here and alienated much of the public. A recent survey of 1,550 households by the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper showed 71 percent of respondents called Mr. Hashimoto’s comments ‘‘inappropriate,’’ compared with 21 percent who said the comments were ‘'appropriate.'’ | Mr. Hashimoto’s rants — sometimes in the form of an outpouring of dozens of posts on Twitter — have sparked furor from human rights groups here and alienated much of the public. A recent survey of 1,550 households by the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper showed 71 percent of respondents called Mr. Hashimoto’s comments ‘‘inappropriate,’’ compared with 21 percent who said the comments were ‘'appropriate.'’ |
| Mr. Hashimoto’s speech Monday to overseas journalists at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan was as much a plea to domestic voters before parliamentary elections this summer as it was an attempt to reach out to global public opinion. | Mr. Hashimoto’s speech Monday to overseas journalists at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan was as much a plea to domestic voters before parliamentary elections this summer as it was an attempt to reach out to global public opinion. |
| Recent ratings for Mr. Hashimoto, who was once seen as a possible contender for prime minister, have plummeted, and a smaller party has called off plans to cooperate in the coming elections, citing his remarks on women. | Recent ratings for Mr. Hashimoto, who was once seen as a possible contender for prime minister, have plummeted, and a smaller party has called off plans to cooperate in the coming elections, citing his remarks on women. |
| During his speech Monday, Mr. Hashimoto apologized for suggesting to a senior American military official stationed on the island of Okinawa that United States troops at bases there should make more use of the local adult entertainment industry to reduce sexual crimes against local women. | During his speech Monday, Mr. Hashimoto apologized for suggesting to a senior American military official stationed on the island of Okinawa that United States troops at bases there should make more use of the local adult entertainment industry to reduce sexual crimes against local women. |
| ‘‘That was not what I meant,’’ Mr. Hashimoto said. ‘‘My real intention was to prevent a mere handful of American soldiers from committing crimes. In attempting to act on my strong commitment to solving the problem in Okinawa stemming from crimes committed by a minority of U.S. soldiers, I made an inappropriate remark.'’ | |
| Still, Mr. Hashimoto did not shy away from delving into his interpretation of the comfort woman experience. | Still, Mr. Hashimoto did not shy away from delving into his interpretation of the comfort woman experience. |
| Many wartime brothels were run not by Japanese, but by local brokers on the Korean Peninsula and elsewhere, he said. And though some brothels were run by Japan’s wartime military, its main task was to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases for the sake of the women, he said. | Many wartime brothels were run not by Japanese, but by local brokers on the Korean Peninsula and elsewhere, he said. And though some brothels were run by Japan’s wartime military, its main task was to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases for the sake of the women, he said. |
| He stressed that while Japanese military boats and trucks were sometimes used to transport women to the brothels, authorities themselves were not deeply involved in the coercion of women. He said he did not believe Japan’s actions at the time amounted to human trafficking. | |
| Banri Kaieda, who leads the opposition Democratic Party, advised Mr. Hashimoto to stop talking before he made the situation even worse. | Banri Kaieda, who leads the opposition Democratic Party, advised Mr. Hashimoto to stop talking before he made the situation even worse. |
| ‘‘There is a Chinese saying, ‘You cannot wrap a fire with paper,’’’ Mr. Kaieda said at a news conference. With Mr. Hashimoto, he said, ‘‘It’s as if he is trying to wrap it with oil instead.'’ | ‘‘There is a Chinese saying, ‘You cannot wrap a fire with paper,’’’ Mr. Kaieda said at a news conference. With Mr. Hashimoto, he said, ‘‘It’s as if he is trying to wrap it with oil instead.'’ |