May 26 & 27, 2013

Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Kasai Akira in a political debate program aired on May 26 said that what the Japanese government should do is “to accept its responsibility for the so-called ‘comfort women’ problem, apologize for the problem, and work to discourage outrageous remarks on the problem from being made”.

Controversial Japan Restoration Party co-leader Hashimoto Toru and lawmakers of the Liberal Democratic and Democratic parties also appeared on the Fuji TV network’s debate program.

Hashimoto again argued that “in other nations too, a military force at the time of war had used women” to control soldiers’ craving for sex.

Criticizing Hashimoto, JCP Kasai said, “Even if other nations do bad things, it doesn’t mean that you are not held responsible for making insulting remarks.”

On the previous day, Hashimoto in a Nippon TV network’s program expressed his intention to retract his remarks only to high ranking officers of the U.S. forces in Okinawa regarding his suggestion that they make the use of sex-related services in Okinawa.

Related past articles:
> Protests continue against Hashimoto’s remarks on ‘comfort women’ [May 15-19, 2013]
> Osaka mayor’s remarks an insult to human dignity: JCP Ichida [May 14, 2013]