While nothing, absolutely nothing can give back to these women what was taken from them, I believe this is a step in the right direction.

I only wish we could learn that lesson in America.

Anyone else?

... but not descendants of survivors.

What should we learn from this practice?

any references?

But, no, maybe they haven't actually made any payments yet.

The money was not meant to be distributed to survivors of atrocities. The woman who were used a slaves never got anything from that..

The money was used to spur economic growth in the 60's under Park Chung hee's Administration (he is the father of the current president Park Geun hee). Japan has claimed that the money was suppose to have settled the matter, while Korea has said that it hasn't.

What should we learn? I don't understand your question.

In particular, America needs to "free the prison slaves" from our 13th amendment.

I recall a few yeas ago reading that the leader of Japan, when asked , said it was some soldiers who had gotten out of hand or similar to that. Never admitting that that many were killed, or that leaders of the army actually approved the killing. If officers had said "no killing" at risk of your death, then there would have been very little killing. So those in charge approved or perhaps, ordered the killing...an interesting side note on that thinking,.............................

I was in Tokyo a few years ago, and in one museum I was at, there was a lengthy history of Tokyo from around 1500 to present.. I think it was noted in the museum something like this......."..and then in December of 1941..the pacific war began.."...Of course no mention of Pearl Harbor...

Then, in a different part of that section it was noted with some details, the bombing of Tokyo in 1945 that killed 100,000. You have to walk through that place to get the feeling of that.. Most of the museum to be honest, had to do with the period from 1900 and before..way before. But that is a part I remember very well..

The research for it took four years. It's on IMDB. I mention that the Japanese demanded an apology for the atomic bomb, but nary a peep about the Rape of Nanking.

Not specifically to the Rape of Nanking, but certainly repeatedly to China.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_war_apology_statements_issued_by_Japan

I worked at the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall for three years. I interviewed veterans on both sides. I interviewed survivors. I've read the original documents on both sides.

There has NEVER been ONE apology for the massacre of 300,000 unarmed, defenseless people or the rape of 80,000 women in the six weeks after the siege of the Chinese capital in 1937-8.

Some in Japan honor those who did this by going to Yasukuni every year. Their history books gloss over the event or flat out deny it. It isn't even taught in history classes there.

Again, I sat in on many history classes in Japan doing my research for the movie.

There is a arrogance that many leaders of Japan have and have had. It did not happen. Like the war that started in December 1941, well it just started. It would make the country look bad, if in the museum, it stated, after the bombing of Peal Harbor the war began. Some museum visitors, might ask, who didn't know, what was the bombing?..

During WWI, the Japanese moved against the Germans held ports in China. Took prisoner of war, treated them quite well, so well that many former German POWs of the Japanese stayed in Japan and opened German Style Beer Halls in the 1920s. I read similar treatment of Russian POWS during the Russo-Japanese War of 1905.

https://books.google.com/books?id=GforXI13gmMC&pg=PA139&lpg=PA139&dq=Japanese+Treatment+of+Russian+POW&source=bl&ots=6OeOAsIK0h&sig=V4D6VS3AQ4P6VeMfJHNp5wlwFOw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj9j6vqr__JAhVLJiYKHS68AaAQ6AEITTAK#v=onepage&q=Japanese%20Treatment%20of%20Russian%20POW&f=false

In the 1930s the ruling elite of Japan (and especially in the Japanese Army) adopted the concept that Soldiers should NEVER surrender and those that did should be treated no better then vermin. Non-Japanese Civilians came to be viewed similarly, It was a change in mindset, but similar to attitudes the Nazi Army had to Slavs during the same time period (we are discussing the 1930s through WWII). The victims came to be seen as so unimportant that their deaths did not even make official reports except if large numbers were involved, and those appear to be more someone boasting he was a bigger butcher then other people of his rake.

Once the elite who wanted war were in charge, the training within the Army change to emphasis brutality. I have read stories that the Japanese Army put Civilians on posts so their Infantrymen could bayonet actual people during bayonet training.

Thus Japan had NO cultural tendency to abuse Civilians or POWs, how Japan treated Civilians and POWs was a product of its turn to fascism in the 1930s. Thus the "Excuse" of Cultural difference does NOT withstand close scrutiny, Japan had a long history of taking good care of POWs and avoiding civilian casualties, during WWII the Japanese Leadership decided NOT to follow their traditions.

As has the atrocities again China. The three countries are all economical powerhouses, yet they hate each other. It certainly doesn't help that Japan has had a far right government for most of the last decade. I think this is a good start, but won't be enough.

Having lived in Korea for 11 years I have learned a lot about the Japanese annexation of Korea between 1910-1945.