Abstract: »The "comfort women" debate that emerged in the 1990's has sparked Japanese revisionism about war responsibility and the construction of public memory. The debate has focused on standards of proof. At issue is whether forced abductions occurred and whether official documents implicate the Japanese army. The debate illustrates the limits of positivist history since positivism denies the validity of the victims' own testimony. Also, the debate illustrates that the problems inherent in oral testimony are present in orthodox documentary histories as well. Distortions by all sides in the debate hinder understanding of the issues involved. Women historians in Japan have particularly involved themselves in the debate since the "realities" of the former soldiers and their memories overshadow the realities and memories of the oppressed comfort women. Finally, when victims challenged the Japanese government and sought compensation for their ordeals, they attempted to recover their self-respect.« (Source: Historical Abstracts)

Contents:

	Japan's "Historical Revisionists" (p. 129)
	Beyond Positivist History (p. 133)
	The Challenge of the Comfort Women Issue (p. 136)
	Feminism and Oral Testimony (p. 139)
	Multivalent Reality (p. 140)
	Overcoming the Nation-State (p. 145)
	Notes (p. 150)

Wikipedia: History of Asia: History of Japan / Shōwa era | 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