In the circumstances in which bullets are flying like rain and wind, the soldiers are running around at the risk of losing their lives. If you want them to have a rest in such a situation, a comfort women system is necessary. Anyone can understand that.

— Toru Hashimoto, Mayor of Osaka, Japan • Claiming the necessity of Japan’s World War II-era so-called “comfort women,” a collection of 200,000 or so females (many Chinese, South Korean and Indonesian), forced into sex slavery for soldiers. Hashimoto’s statement of apparent sympathy with forced prostitution has been decried internationally, with Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei speaking in condemnation: “The conscription of sex slaves was a grave crime committed by the Japanese military. We are shocked and indignant at the Japanese politician’s remarks, as they flagrantly challenge historical justice.” Hashimoto, age 43, is leader and co-founder of the nationalist Japan Restoration Party. source (via shortformblog)