UNITED STATES OFFICE OF WAR INFORMATION Japanese Prisoner of War Interrogation Report No. 49

Mr.Moteki Hiromichi, Secretary General of
Society for the Dissemination of Historical Fact sent recently to us this article.

This official US record made by direct interrogation of comfort women captured on the battlefield is one of the most important source materials related to documenting the real comfort women.

In 1944, the United States Army captured some Comfort Women in Burma and were interrogated by the U.S. Army. The Army filed "Report Number 49" and it stated that the ladies were well-paid prostitutes.

It clearly defined a "comfort girl" as nothing more than a prostitute or "professional camp follower." (Preface) It also stated that their average month net pay was 750 Yen, which was 75 times higher than that of a private first class soldier's pay of 10 Yen. (Pay and Living Condition)

These show that the comfort women were merely very highly paid prostitutes, and having absolutely nothing to do with "sexual slavery."



Whole copy of Report No.49:　http://www.sdh-fact.com/CL02_4/8_S1.pdf

Kent Sidney Gilbert wrote the following article on his blog of 29 November,2014:

http://ameblo.jp/workingkent/entry-11958461771.html

Michael Yon, a highly respected and skillful U.S. author, gave to Kent Gilbert permission to translate into Japanese and share with the readers an article which he put out yesterday.


Japan-Korea: Were Korean Men Cowards during World War II?

A vexing question

There are growing, unsubstantiated questions about whether the Japanese Imperial Army kidnapped 200,000 sex-slaves (Comfort Women) in World War II. Mostly from Korea.
A $30 million US Government Study specifically searched for evidence on Comfort Women allegations. After nearly seven years with many dozens of staff pouring through US archives -- and 30 million dollars down the drain -- we found a grand total of nothing.

The final IWG report to Congress was issued in 2007. (Linked below.)
Nobody should be writing about Comfort Women issues without reading this report cover to cover.

Many of the unsubstantiated claims are coming from Korea. Korean allegations have led to unexpected twists.
At the time, Korea was actually part of Japan -- roughly in the way that Puerto Rico is part of the USA. Many Koreans were members of the Japanese military. So any allegations that the Japanese military kidnapped 200,000 women implies that Koreans were involved in kidnapping Koreans. This is an uncomfortable reality. It gets even more uncomfortable.
So today, South Korean President Park Geun-hye constantly accuses Japan of kidnapping these shiploads of women.
Imagine how this boomerangs back. President Park is saying that Japan -- and her daddy was an officer in the Japanese Army at the time -- kidnapped uncounted tens of thousands of women from Korea as sex-slaves. Yet there is no evidence that Korean men fought back.

During the war, Korea had a population of about 23 million. Today, Texas has a population of about 26 million. Imagine trying to kidnap 200,000 Texas women. There would be a bloodbath. The Army would lose thousands of soldiers, and thousands of civilians no doubt would have been slaughtered in return.
Evidence would be everywhere. Photos. Films. Battle sites. Texans would never allow 200,000 women to be stolen and raped without making a river of blood. So President Park is essentially saying Korean men during World War II were a bunch of cowards.
Also imagine this from the perspective of a Japanese military General or Admiral. He is at war with the USA, Australia, Britain, China, and more. His hands are full. The USA in particular is on the march with our Navy and Marines, and we are smashing Japan anywhere we can find Japanese.
All generals always want more troops and supplies. That is a fact of life. Just ask any General. Ask any business leader what he or she needs to expand or defend against competition: They always want more resources.
What kind of fool General would dedicate the resources to kidnap, guard, transport, and feed 200,000 women, knowing that he is creating yet another war to fight?
The Japanese were highly advanced military thinkers. They made their own submarines, airplanes, and aircraft carriers. These were serious people, and super smart.
There is no way that Generals would dedicate those resources to kidnapping women when the US military and allies were marching down their throats. They had a war to fight -- this was not Spring Break.
Any serious military or business person can see the folly in common sense of kidnapping 200,000 women. It does not make sense, and would have created a new war in Korea -- which was a base for Japanese recruitment. Koreans were fighting Americans. Koreans were our enemy.
And back to Korean men. It would be horrific to see the US Army try to kidnap 200,000 Texas women -- especially so considering that many US military members are Texans, just as many Koreans were Japanese Soldiers.
Texas would rise up and start smashing the Army. Bridges would blow up. Soldiers would be shot every day. Bases would burn. The Army would fight back and there would be total war.
So are we to believe that Korean men are such cowards that nobody lifted a hand to defend their women? Because if they allowed these many women to be kidnapped, they are cowards, and their sons today had cowards for fathers.

The reality is that we know that Koreans are no cowards. Koreans are a courageous people. So what really happened? It is clear from source documents, and the common sense that every water buffalo possesses, that there was no mass kidnapping.

It's all a lie, and no matter how much someone hates Japan, it will always be a lie.

Please read the IWG report that practically nobody seems to know exists. If you do not have time for the whole report, do a search inside the report for Comfort Women, and carefully read those parts: http://www.archives.gov/iwg/reports/final-report-2007.pdf


For your reference: http://www.sankei.com/world/news/141127/wor1411270003-n1.html

Article about Japanese Culture： 5 Things to Know About Japan's Handmade 'Washi' Paper

The tradition of washi making has been nurtured for over 1,300 years. Japan Agency for Cultural Affairs
The UNESCO Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage on Wednesday added Japanese papers known as “washi” to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The process of making the handmade paper has been passed on for generations for over a thousand years in Japan. Here are 5 things to know about its craftsmanship.


1. Tradition of Washi Making Has Been Nurtured for Over 1,300 Years

The tradition of manufacturing washi has been nurtured for over 1,300 years. There are a variety of washi papers depending on their manufacturing process and origin. The ones added to the heritage list are hosokawa-shi from Saitama prefecture, honmino-shi from Gifu prefecture and sekishu-banshi from Shimane prefecture. The three are all made from mulberry plant fibers.


2. Washi Making Process

The process of making the three washi papers added to the heritage list start with peeling the outer bark of the mulberry plant and soaking it in water for days. Then the plant is boiled before dirt and other impurities are removed. The fibers are loosened using wood sticks and hammers, then mixed into thickened water. Bamboo screens are used to filter it before they are dried under the sun.


3. Washi Has Been Hit by Introduction of Low Cost Paper

While production of washi has been hit hard since the introduction of low-cost, machine-made paper, the manufacturers have worked hard to preserve the craftsmanship. “Families and their employees work under masters who have inherited the techniques from their parents. The communities play roles in keeping this craftsmanship viable, ranging from the cultivation of mulberry, training in the techniques and the creation of new washi products,” UNESCO said.


4. There Are Multiple Uses for Washi

Because of its manufacturing process, washi is generally stronger than paper made from wood pulp. While they are used for calligraphy known as shodo, washi is also a key component in making paper screens, room dividers and sliding doors in Japan.


5. It Has a Distinctive, Warm Touch

“Washi has a distinctive softness and warmth to it,” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in a statement released Thursday after it was added to the heritage list. In addition to passing on the craftsmanship, the government will continue to support the tradition of the washi culture and preserve it for future generations, Mr. Abe added.


Nov 27, 2014 JAPAN

By JUN HONGO