Comment by Embassy of Japan to CBC, December 1

On November 30, the embassy received a request for comment from the CBC regarding the documentary movie "Apology,"

The comment from Embassy of Japan in Canada was as follows.

The government of Japan has acknowledged that the issue of comfort women was a grave affront to the honor and dignity of large numbers of women. As Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stated on the 70th Anniversary of the end of WWII, August 14, 2015:

…we will engrave in our hearts the past, when the dignity and honour of many women were severely injured during wars in the 20th century…Japan wishes to be a country always at the side of such women’s injured hearts. Japan will lead the world in making the 21st century an era in which women’s human rights are not infringed upon.

At the Japan-Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on December 28, 2015, the two sides reached agreement regarding the issue of comfort women and confirmed that the issue was resolved “finally and irreversibly”. Based on this agreement, on August 31, 2016, the Government of Japan contributed one billion yen (approximately 12.5million CAD) to the foundation established by the Government of ROK for the purpose of providing support for the former comfort women. It is the understanding of Japanese government that this foundation initiated projects for the former comfort women in October 2016.

The Government of Japan recognizes the importance of the agreement reached on comfort women and will continue to cooperate with the ROK to ensure its faithful implementation.

Link to the website of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan: Issues regarding History