Prosecutors say that the ultimate blame for such suffering lies with the emperor. We will prove that Hirohito was involved. The indictment of the emperor, albeit in a mock court, is likely to be controversial and possibly dangerous. Fear of violent rightwing groups has prompted the organisers to hide the identities of Japanese witnesses. The organisers say the risk is worthwhile because other attempts to highlight the case of the comfort women and push their case for compensation have made little progress.
Japan is deeply divided on the issue.
In 1993, a couple of years after victims began to speak out for the first time, the government admitted its role in establishing the network of brothels. The victims have also made little headway in their attempt to seek justice through the Japanese legal system. On Wednesday, in the latest of more than a dozen failures, a lawsuit filed by 46 Philippine women was rejected by the Tokyo high court. The Japanese government is waiting for us to die, but I refuse to die until I get justice.