Japan's Comfort Women

Japan's Comfort Women tells the 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, Tanaka for the first time links military controlled prositution with enforced prostitution. He uncovers new and controversial information about the role of US occupation forces in military controlled prostitution, as well as the subsequent "cover-up" of the existence of such a policy. Tanaka 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. This groundbreaking book uncovers new material relating to the highly controversial and contentious issue of Japan's comfort women. It will have a deep impact on the ongoing international debate on this highly emotive issue.