Japan Press Weekly

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2013 May 15 - 21 [HISTORY]

Ishihara takes side of Osaka mayor on comfort women remarks

Ishihara Shintaro, who co-heads the Japan Restoration Party with Osaka Mayor Hashimoto Toru, on May 14 defended his partner, saying, “Militaries in general are associated with prostitution.”

Mayor Hashimoto on the previous day made remarks that the Japanese Imperial military’s “comfort women” system during WWII was “necessary”.

Questioned by reporters in the Diet building, Ishihara said, “What Hashimoto said is basically not wrong.”

JRP Secretary General and Osaka Governor Matsui Ichiro also commented, “(The ‘comfort women’ system) existed because it was required.”

Furthermore, parliamentary leader of the JRP Matsuno Yorihisa said that Hashimoto “presented his own view” and explained that the party will not criticize his personal remarks.

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Facing a storm of criticism from inside and outside Japan, the Japan Restoration Party on May 16 released a statement regarding the party’s stance toward co-leader Hashimoto’s remarks on the so-called “comfort women.” The statement basically accepts the co-leader’s remarks that the comfort women system was “necessary.”

While explaining that “the party’s basic policy is to defend women’s basic human rights,” the statement goes on to say, “It is the responsibility of the Japanese government to clear up the international community’s misunderstanding that women were taken away from Korea under coercion to serve as sex slaves.” It also states, “Co-leader Hashimoto’s remarks are in line with the government view.”