My Mother Is More Than A Comfort Woman: A Storybook of the Lolas from Their Daughters’ Perspectives

My Mother Is More Than A Comfort Woman is a storybook that presents the experiences of Filipino “Comfort Women” survivors through the eyes of their daughters and a granddaughter. Conceived in 2019 as the capstone project for three graduate students―one Cambodian and two Japanese― in the same graduate program, the initiative soon grew into a published volume, online readings, and a series of international workshops. Though modest in scale, the project carries far-reaching implications for the next phase of the “Comfort Women” movement and for future archival initiatives. By foregrounding the voices of the second- and third-generation descendants, it expands efforts to document intergenerational memories and raises public awareness through narratives that portray the survivors as mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and ordinary citizens who rebuilt their lives even after the atrocities ended.
One of the authors, Naoko Okimoto, recounts how the project began and highlights its cross-border impact on a new generation in Japan and the affected countries.

The beginning of the project

It was in 2018 that I first met with the Lolas^[1], “comfort women” survivors in the Philippines, who were WWII sexual violence/slavery survivors by the Japanese military. It was also the time when the first statue commemorating Filipino lolas was built in Manila in December 2017 and soon removed by their own government under the pressure of the Japanese government in April 2018.

As a Japanese citizen, I was appalled by comments from some Japanese users in online forums who praised the Philippine government and insulted the victims. I could not tolerate the situation that there were some Japanese still harming the dignity of the “comfort women” survivors even today, after what they have gone through. I felt that I should learn more about the atrocities committed by the Japanese troops during World War II and how the Japanese government treated the reparation issue after the war ended.

Fortunately, two classmates and I, in the Asian Peacebuilders Scholarship (APS) of the dual master’s programme at the University for Peace (Costa Rica) and Ateneo de Manila University (Philippines), were able to form a team with each majoring in gender, peace education, international law and human rights, willing to work on the Filipino “comfort women” issue.

Acting on Dr. Veneracion-Rallonza’s suggestion and benefitting from Dr. San Jose’s mentorship, we launched the storybook project. We decided to portray survivors’ stories from their daughters’ perspectives, convinced that an accessible, gently illustrated storybook could reach the broader audiences that scholarly monographs seldom do.

Collaboration was key to the project. We worked closely with Lila Pilipina, the organization of Filipino wartime sexual slavery or “comfort women” survivors, and PAMANA, the association of descendants of the survivors. In September 2019, with Lila Pilipina’s support, we interviewed three daughters and one granddaughter whose mothers and grandmother had already passed away.

We were motivated by two principal reasons for making this storybook. First, we needed to find new ways to convey the legacy of the lolas. Since speaking out in the early 1990s, the lolas have continued their fight for justice, sharing their wartime experiences, and protesting ongoing conflicts to prevent another generation of “comfort women.” Yet their voices are fading. Many of them have passed away, and the remaining survivors are now in their nineties. In 2019, when we started the project, only three lolas who were members of Lila Pilipina still actively shared their stories. Seeking a sustainable means of passing down their testimonies without relying solely on the survivors themselves, we chose to interview second- and third-generation family members.

Second, few publications focused on the lolas’ full life stories. Most interviews and reports had centered on wartime experiences, with notable exceptions such as the accounts of Lola Maria Rosa Henson and Lola Remedios Felias. Little had been written or known about how lolas lived after the war, how they interacted with their family members, and how they rebuilt their lives. By interviewing daughters and a granddaughter, we aimed to highlight both their indirect encounters with wartime trauma and the survivors’ post-war daily lives.

Our interviews began with everyday questionswhat the lolas enjoyed and what hobbies they pursuedthen moved to conversation about their family relationships, and finally to discussion of how their family members coped with their mothers’ wartime histories. We saw that daughters and granddaughters are crucial to “comfort women” activism, offering emotional and moral support and now serving as active members of PAMANA. Interviews were conducted in Filipino with invaluable assistance from Lila Pilipina Youth Volunteers, and University of the Philippines students, who interpreted and transcribed. Later, APS Filipino classmates helped us refine the Filipino text when we submitted the storybook to Ateneo de Manila University.

Within the project team, I served as the illustrator. My teammates allowed me to draw them based on my own images that came from listening to the stories of the daughters and the granddaughter. I faced difficulty in depicting wartime experiences, especially sexual violence, without directly drawing the violence itself. I have struggled to convey the pain those lolas went through. I was also inspired by the daughters’ love and respect for their mothers. Their memories generated beautiful images in my mind. We had a follow-up meeting with the interviewees to check if the stories and illustrations were okay with them. Later, when publishing the storybook in 2021, I added and retouched some more illustrations.

The storybook, written in three languages in English, Filipino, and Japanese, was published by feminist publisher Gantala Press in March 2021. While initial sales were limited to the Philippines, two Japanese advocacy groups, Lola-Net and Makita group, assisted with distribution in Japan. Copies are also housed in museums and libraries in different countries, including Japan, the Philippines, Canada, and Costa Rica. Proceeds from the sales of the book have been donated to Lila Pilipina and PAMANA in support of their activities.

The storybook has been featured in local media outlets such as Manila Bulletin (April 11, 2021) and Rappler (April 6, 2021)^[2], and in an academic publication. The electronic edition of this book is now available,^[3] while the publisher seeks partners for a second printing. Korean translation is currently underway and will be available soon.

Online reading sessions and workshops

By early March 2020, three lolas remained active with Lila Pilipina, but the COVID-19 lockdown suspended many of their activities. In response, we organized online reading sessions.

On June 13, 2020, at the online session called “Online Reading and Talk: The Daughter's Story on a Filipino 'Comfort Woman,'” we presented one of the stories from the book, joined by an interviewee and Sharon Cabusao-Silva, Lila Pilipina’s executive coordinator. Participants included new APS students and members of the Asian-American Medical Student Association. On August 15, 2020, another online session called “Grandma Is More Than A Comfort Woman: Online Book Reading and Conversation on Militarism and Violence”^[4] was held. This event united advocates from the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, and the United States. The livestream has exceeded 3,000 views as of April 18, 2025. Volunteer readers presented stories, after which an interviewee, Lila Pilipina representatives, and a history professor each delivered remarks. Simultaneous Japanese and Korean interpretations were provided.

Further workshops followed after the storybook was published. On November 22, 2021, we participated in an online session: "The 30 Years Walked Together with the Lolas, and to be passed on to the next generations: Workshop and discussion connecting Osaka, Japan, and the Philippines,” in conjunction with the Japan Catholic Justice and Peace National Conference in Osaka. This time, we screened a four-minute introductory video, shared stories in English and Japanese, and facilitated group discussions.

We have since delivered online lectures, workshops, and classes for students and other audiences in the United States and Japan. In the Philippines, leading educators and student groups have integrated the storybook into their lectures, exhibitions, and special events on the “comfort women” issue or World War II history.^[5] [Images 4 and 5]

Feedback from the readers

Feedback from readers and participants has energized our advocacy. Several readers said they encountered the history of “comfort women” for the first time through the storybook. One Cambodian reader learned the meaning of “comfort women” and the nature of their struggle for the first time through this book. A Japanese reader praised the gentle illustrations that make the subject accessible to beginners. Readers repeatedly described how the book’s format eased engagement and served as an entry point to deeper understanding.

Some responses were deeply personal. A Filipino reader felt the stories “humanize our lolas.” A Japanese reader realized that lolas survived not only the war but also its aftermath. She was moved by the account of the daughter of one of the survivors. She reflected on the hardships her mother went through after the war, such as family blaming their mother for coming forward as a comfort woman survivor, and painful flashbacks of wartime. The reader wondered whether she herself could have supported her mother so steadfastly.

Readers also commented on the book’s focus on families who courageously confront their mothers’ pasts. One Japanese comment recognized that these descendants refuse to dismiss their mothers’ suffering as mere misfortune. They acknowledge that tolerating such abuse permits inhumane treatment of all people. The commenter expressed profound respect for their determination to change society by coming forward.

Another Japanese reader confessed that, despite early curiosity, she had long avoided the “comfort women” issue because of the overwhelming and graphic horrors of the history. The storybook, however, taught her that avoidance was never an option for the lolas, whose scars endure. She now feels compelled to face the issue directly.

As expected, many readers voiced support for the lolas’ campaign to reclaim dignity and human rights. One Filipino reader admired the lolas for remaining “strong, brave, and compassionate to themselves, to others, and their families” despite their ordeal, insisting that their stories must be preserved so history does not repeat itself.

As of 2025, none of the lolas are seen at the office of Lila Pilipina or in rallies anymore. All the surviving lolas are elderly, most of them are in fragile health, and have to stay home, taken care of by their family. Yet their life stories, wartime atrocities, postwar struggles with trauma and stigma, and their remarkable resilience, live on through their families, supporters, and young volunteers with Lila Pilipina. We hope our storybook continues to transmit the lolas’ legacy to new generations and contributes to restoring their dignity as human beings.