Hashimoto Apologizes to U.S. over Sex Industry Remark

Tokyo, May 27 (Jiji Press)--Toru Hashimoto, coleader of major opposition Nippon Ishin No Kai (Japan Restoration Party), on Monday apologized to the military and citizens of the United States for recommending the use of the Japanese sex industry by U.S. servicemen stationed in the country. The comment "was inappropriate," Hashimoto, also mayor of Osaka, western Japan, told a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo. "I retract the remark and express an apology." But he did not withdraw another inflammatory comment, on so-called "comfort women" who were forced to work as prostitutes for soldiers of the now-defunct Imperial Japanese Army before and during World War II. On May 13, Hashimoto told reporters that the wartime prostitution system for the military was necessary at the time. He has drawn strong criticism both at home and abroad over these remarks. To seek the understanding of foreign journalists, he also distributed a written statement in Japanese and English at the news conference. "I stated that 'the armed forces of nations in the world' seemed to have needed women 'during the past wars,'" Hashimoto said at the news conference. "Then it was wrongly reported that I myself thought it as necessary for armed forces to use women and that 'I' tolerated it." It is "a hard historical fact" that the soldiers of some nations of the world used women for "sexual purposes" during wars, he added, arguing against any attempt to conclude the matter "by blaming only Japan and by associating Japan alone with the simple phrase of 'sex slaves' or 'sex slavery.'" On the sex industry comment for U.S. servicemen, Hashimoto said he had used the inappropriate expression because of his strong hope that the U.S. military in Japan would take steps to prevent the bilateral relationship of trust from being hurt by the crimes of a handful of U.S. soldiers. "I used the phrase 'the legally accepted adult entertainment industry in Japan,'" Hashimoto said. But when this was translated into English, "it led to the false report that I recommended prostitution--which is illegal under Japanese law," he argued. Hashimoto indicated that he would have to consider whether to resign as coleader of Nippon Ishin if the party performs poorly in the House of Councillors election in summer this year. There would be a debate within the party on whether he should be allowed stay as cohead of the party, depending on the results of the Upper House election, he said, noting that politicians are always subject to the judgment of voters through elections in a democratic country. END