The Japanese Military “Comfort Women” and the Multilayeredness of Coercion

How has our understanding of “coercion” in forced labor and the Japanese military “Comfort Women” system changed over time? This essay examines the multilayered nature of these issues, moving beyond nationalist narratives and historical denialism toward a broader understanding through the lens of universal human rights.

• 2026-10-13
• Jie-Hyun Lim

Japanese Military “Comfort Women” in the Dutch East Indies and the Batavia Temporary Court Martial

Notably, the Batavia Court Martial adjudicated a case involving the Japanese military’s exploitation of Dutch women as “Comfort Women.” This stood as the only trial that addressed perpetrators who abducted women for the purpose of forced prostitution among post-World War II war crime tribunals under international law.

• 2023-04-03
• Moon Jihie

Law, Myth, and the Long Work of Reform

Drawing on legal reforms across different countries and cultural contexts, the author, a legal scholar, examines how rape myths continue to shape sexual assault laws and legal outcomes and proposes measures for reform.

• 2026-09-11
• Ramona Albin

A World Free from Exploitation

In this conversation, Freedom United Executive Director Joanna Ewart-James and Kyeol examine how modern slavery is sustained by social and institutional systems, how collective action can drive meaningful change, and how historical awareness can deepen our understanding of injustices that persist today.

• 2026-07-16
• Joanna Ewart-James

Why the “Statue of Peace” Exhibition Is an Act of Practice

The solidarity practice of Japanese citizens who finally realized the exhibition of the “Statue of Peace” through the “Non-Freedom of Expression Exhibition”—more than a decade in the making.

• 2025-04-23
• Kohei Kurahashi (倉橋耕平)