III) Some brothels forced comfort women into prostitution. Some comfort women did not have freedom of going out, quitting their jobs, returning to their countries, and refusal to serve customers. Besides, some comfort women were treated violently by some Japanese soldiers, and they were exploited by brothel's dealers while Japanese Army knew. Japanese Army should have been responsible for those bad conducts. They should have had to supervise and regulate those bad conducts. Japanese Army and government are guilty because they did not do anything effective to protect comfort women.
I ) Japanese Army strictly supervised and regulated Japanese soldiers' violence to comfort women.
A lot of regulations of brothels can be seen.
"Regulation of the garrison at Changzhou, China" referred that soldiers must not treat violently to comfort women and brothel's dealers. "Regulation of a garrison at Takuroban, Philippine" ordered that soldiers must not violently treat comfort women,
brothel's dealers, and they must not force women into prostitution.
"Regulation of Asia Kaikan, the first comfort station (brothel for Japanese soldiers), Iroiro, Phlippine" also ordered that soldiers must not violently treat and threaten comfort women and brothel dealers. "Regulation about Comfort Business of Morikawa's Troop in China" and "Regulation about the Rear of Facilities in Malaysia" were the same contents above. Various kinds of many regulations of comfort stations existed.
Moreover, "Big Diary of Military Army in China" (on 3rd July 1942) referred headquarters prohibited a soldier from going out for a month because he heavily drank, broke brothels' walls, and abused brothel's dealers and comfort women. In other case, a soldier who violently treated a comfort woman was sent to a court-martial, and a court-martial sentenced him to imprisonment for three months and descented him.
"Table of Military Soldiers' and Army Civilian Employee's Misconduct" (on November 1941), told that a soldier requested a comfort woman who was taking a rest. The soldier who was refused by the comfort woman treated her violently. As a result, the soldier was reported to military police officers, and he was admonished strictly in his unit.
II) Comfort woman could refuse to serve customers.
"Japanese Prisoner of War Interrogation Report No. 49" drawn up by Psychological Warfare Team Attached to U.S. Army Forces India-Burma Theater APO 689) refered that comfort women were allowed to refuse a drunk customer."
"Hankou Comfort Stations" (Ken'ichi Nagasawa's "a Japanese Army Surgeon" Diary), described
The 34th division landed at Hankou in 1939. Comfort women earned a lot of money in this good oppurtunity. Soldiers waited for their turn in a line. . .a soldier's turn came at last, and the soldier was about to take off his shoes, a comfort woman said "Don't take off your shoes, puttees, and wears!" The soldier drew closer to her on his knees without taking off his shoes, puttees, and wears, and he pulled down his pants and had sex with her. After the soldier finished having sex with her, he pulled up his pants and went out. He shouted to her, "Thank you very much!" Comfort women had a leadership. Soldiers often bought a miserable sex by what little money they had.
Comfort women had enough time to go washing and worked hard. When a military doctor had a medical examination, the doctor was surprised because comfort women's sexual organs were bloodshot, and swelled. The medical doctor ordered comfort women to take a rest for three days. Far from being pleased, they protested the medical doctor. They were really bored of the ordinary business.
A large unit's passing through Hankou was a good opportunity for them to earn money as if two biggest holidays had come together. In order to earn a lot of money at this opportunity, they were not tolerable being idle for three days. Soldiers usually paid to them more than 2 yen 50 sen per 10 to 15 minutes above the usual price, 1 yen per half hour. ("Hankou Comfort Stations", Tosho Shuttupan-sha, 1983, pp.236-237.)
Go back Previous Next