Japan Press Weekly

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2013 May 15 - 21 [HISTORY]

Abe refuses to recognize Hashimoto’s remarks on ‘comfort women’ as inappropriate

Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has declined to acknowledge as wrong the remarks of Hashimoto Toru, a co-leader of the right-wing opposition Japan Restoration Party, claiming that the so-called “comfort women” system was “necessary” during World War II.

Japanese Communist Party parliamentarian Inoue Satoshi questioned the prime minister on May 15 in an Upper House Budget Committee session about his take on the issue, saying, “Hashimoto’s remarks affront the dignity of human beings and should not be tolerated.”

Hashimoto, who also serves as the mayor of Osaka, told reporters on May 13 in front of the city office that the sexual slavery system in which women and girls were forced to work as prostitutes for Japanese soldiers was “necessary” at that time.

Inoue quoted some cabinet members as saying that the timing of the mayor’s comments was very bad but that such a system existed because it was needed in those days. He said to Abe, “Is it your cabinet’s view that only the remarks’ ‘timing’ was bad but that they have no problem with the comment itself?”

Abe replied to Inoue by saying that he is not in a position to comment on remarks made by another party’s head.

The JCP lawmaker pointed out that the prime minister and the hawkish mayor have shared the opinion denying the fact that women were carted off by the Japanese military and made to have sex with soldiers under coercion. Inoue went on to say, “If the government’s view differs from the mayor’s, you should clearly state that his remarks are wrong.” However, Abe persistently showed his unwillingness to criticize Hashimoto’s idea.