July 14

July 14

We visited Shanghai Normal University (Yes that is the name) and viewed the comfort women archives. Professor Su Zhilang, along with a translator explained the artifacts we were seeing in regard to the ‘comfort women.’ This was followed by a lecture. Prof Su has researched this for over 20 years, and published many books. Many documents about the comfort women were buried and found. Japanese kept detailed records of the women, the regulations and rules, prices, women etc. Proof of what happened. The first stations were set up in Shanghai. Girls as young as 8 years old were forced to service Japanese soldiers. Although they were suppose to use condoms to prevent STD they often did not. Women were examined and assigned to comfort stations. Houses of horror and torture. The point was to keep Japanese soldiers happy, satisfied . It has first thought over 200 thousand women were victims but now the number seems to be far more 400 thousand. Women who became pregnant were often killed. Babies that were born were also killed. There were a few who gave birth and these children geew up to be bullied and never accepted. Most comfort women were unable to have children after the abuse they received. Not one child ever found out who their fathers were . Today there are known 26 survivors still alive today. Many were Korean women as well. Japan, unlike Germany, acknowledges that this ever happened. The professor spent over 20 years doing the research and he continues today. His passion was obvious. After 1996 his wife helped to conduct rather difficult interviews with the women who finally came forward to speak about their experiences.

We visited an authentic site of a comfort women station in Shanghai. One had to enter through a locked door and entered into a very well hidden courtyard. The building was originally own by a affluent family but the Japanese

took it over. The rooms vary in size. The ‘prettier’ most desirable girls were house in the upper floors some had one officer to service for a whole day or night. Others shared rooms and the men stood on line in the courtyard waiting their turn. About 40 girls were housed here and had no way of escape. Food was thrown at them and often they ate while servicing the soldiers. Even if they escaped or survived they were often shunned by their own families and society because they were considered shammed. Much like Holocaust survivors, many did not speak of their experience for many years.