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Asian Studies

Overview

Comfort women were women who were trafficked into sexual slavery by the Japanese Military beginning in 1932 and continuing until after the end of WWII in 1945. These women, who often were taken against their will, lived in “comfort stations” throughout the Pacific Ring. The Japanese reasoning was that these comfort stations would help to alleviate the stressors of war by providing sex to their troops. However, when this atrocious act is looked back upon with hindsight, the crimes against humanity are clear, and these women were all victimized by institutionalized sexual slavery.

Key Terms

Comfort Women - women who provided sexual services to Japanese Imperial Army troops during Japan’s militaristic period that ended with World War II and who generally lived under conditions of sexual slavery.

Lanjo  - “Comfort stations” or military brothels, places where soldiers would go for the Comfort Women’s “services.”

General Okamura Yasuji - Japanese military general who ordered the transport of “comfort women” to his troops throughout the South Pacific, up to 1945.

Karayuki-san: “women travelers” - Japanese women who were trafficked into sex slavery throughout Asia, and as far as the West Coast of the United States.

Nanjing Massacre - “The Rape of Nanking”, as between 20,000 and 80,000 women were sexually assaulted. Nanking, then the capital of Nationalist China, was left in ruins, and it would take decades for the city and its citizens to recover from the savage attack.

Three All Policy - During WW1 a group of Japanese Military men were ordered by General Okamura to “kill all, burn all, loot all” as retaliation against the Chinese which gave way for the taking of more Asian women to fill the Lanjo.

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