Author: J. Mark Ramseyer, Law School, Harvard University - Wikipedia

Abstract: »The protracted political dispute betweenSouthKorea and Japanover the wartime brothels called “comfort stations” obscures the contractual dynamics involved. These dynamics reflected the straightforward logic of the “credible commitments” so basic to elementary game theory. The brothel owners and potential prostitutes faced a problem:the brothel needed credibly to committo a contractual structure (i) generous enough to offset the dangers and reputational damage to the prostitute that the job entailed, while (ii) giving the prostitute an incentive to exert effort while working at a harsh job in an unobservable environment.
Realizing that the brothel owners had an incentive to exaggerate their future earnings, the women demanded a large portion of their pay upfront. Realizing that they were headed to the war zone, they demanded a relatively short maximum term. And realizing that the women had an incentive to shirk, the brothel owners demanded a contractual structure that gave women incentives to work hard. To satisfy these superficially contradictory demands, the women and brothels concluded indenture contracts that coupled (i) a large advance with one- or two-year maximum terms, with (ii) an ability for the women to leave early if they generated sufficient revenue.« (Source: International Review of Law and Economics)

Contents:

	1. Introduction (p. 1)
	2. Prostitution in Prewar Japan and Korea (p. 2)
		2.1. Introduction (p. 2)
		2.2. Japan (p. 2)
		2.3. Prostitution in Korea (p. 4)
		2.4. Recruitment in Japan and Korea (p. 5)
	3. The comfort stations (p. 5)
		3.1. Venereal disease (p. 5)
		3.2. Contract duration (p. 6)
		3.3. Contract prices (p. 6)
		3.4. Contract terms (p. 6)
		3.5. Prostitute savings (p. 6)
		3.6. The closing years of the war (p. 7)
	4. Conclusion (p. 7)
	References (p. 7)
	Further reading (p. 8)

Wikipedia: History of Asia: History of Japan / Shōwa era | History of Asia: History of Korea / Korea under Japanese rule | Prostitution: Forced prostitution / Comfort women | Sex and the law: Wartime sexual violence / Wartime sexual violence in World War II | War: Pacific War / Japanese war crimes