Comment by John S

March 24, 2007 @ 12:50 am

So…now Nakasone’s denied that he had set up a military brothel in World War II or had any direct knowledge of the comfort women system.

Looks like he’s come around…

Comment by DeOrio

March 24, 2007 @ 3:31 am

It’s always good to see unity in government.

Myabe Nakasone’s construction exploits were like Wilt Chamberlain’s 20,000. You know, just making a point, not claiming it really happened.

Comment by John S

March 24, 2007 @ 5:31 pm

Didn’t hear from Ken on that one. Will there be a retraction of this Seijigiri and apology for his comment on Nakasone?

Comment by ken

March 24, 2007 @ 6:53 pm

John,

To answer your question: No.

In 1978’s 終わりなき海軍 (owarinaikaigun, or, The Navy Without End), Mr Nakasone wrote the following:

「３千人からの大部隊だ。やがて原住民の女を襲うものやバクチに
ふけるものも出てきた。そんな彼らのために私は苦心して慰安所を
つくってやった」

Sorry I can’t cite it other than the printed version open here in front of me. Here’s what it says in English:

“It was a battalion of 3,000 men. Before long, soldiers were assaulting native women and were absorbed in gambling. For the sake of the men, I heavy-heartedly built a comfort station.”

As for the delay getting back to you, I ran the translation past a couple of people, including a former employee of the Japanese Naval War Records Division whom I happen to be in contact with.

「苦心」is the word of issue here, since it does usually carry the sense of 何かやりたくないけどやりなきゃいけない。状況のためにやったこと, or something you really don’t want to do but have to do, or is being done due to the current situation. Some may translate it as ‘diligent,’ but I don’t think that carries the usual nuance that exists in Japanese communication.

At any rate, as for Nakasone’s comments yesterday. He basically said that engineers wanted a facility and so he built one. He said that men played shogi and gathered there. He said many times that it was a place for ‘rest and relaxation.’

He did not respond directly to any questions regarding whether or not prostitutes were in the comfort station.

He then went on to say that Japan should make a straightforward apology to the comfort women, though he had no firsthand knowledge of their conditions.