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Chronology
1868 Meiji Restoration - "Restoration" of power to the emperor and beginning of revolutionary changes including Japanese militarism under the Meiji emperor's reign
1894~1895 First Sino-Japanese War - Conflict between China (Qing) and Japan for control of Korea
1904~1905 Russo-Japanese War - Conflict between Russia and Japan on Manchuria and Korea. In consequence of Japan' defeat over Russia, Japan gained control of Korea and became an Asian Imperialistic country.
1910 Japan colonizes Korea.
1914~1918 World War I
1931 Japan invades Manchuria and sets up a puppet state, Manchukuo in 1932.
1932 First comfort station in Shanghai
1937 Japan starts to establish systematic comfort stations throughout China and other Asian territories following the Rape of Nanking.
1937~1945 Asian and Pacific War
1939~1945 World War II
1937~1945 Women from Korea, China and other Asian countries were forced or deceived to serve as sexual slaves in China and other Asian territories under Japans occupation.
August 1945 Atomic Bombing on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan
September 2 1945 Japan signs the unconditional surrender agreement.
May 3 1946 International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE, the Tokyo War Crime Trial) was convened to try the military and political leaders for crimes against peace, general war crimes and crimes against humanity. The trial was only for class A criminals.
1946~1948 The tribunals for class B and C criminals were held in 49 locations in other Asian countries.
1948 The Batavia trial was held in Batavia, Indonesia. It is the only tribunal of IMTFE which includes a trial concerning sexual abuse of 35 Dutch comfort women. It convicted several Japanese military officers.
June 1965 Korean-Japanese Agreement to establish diplomatic relations. It includes no claims for Comfort Women. The Korean government agrees to accept compensation from the Japanese government on the state level but not on the individual level.
1988 Military Sexual Slavery by Japan on-the-Spot Survey was made by three members of Korea Church Women.
May 1990 Korea Women's Associations United and Korean Council of University Women held a press conference and issued the statement regarding Military Sexual Slavery.
June 1990 The Japanese government replies that neither of the government or the military was not involved in the Comfort Women issue.
October 1990 Korean women's groups held a press conference and sent an open letter to the Korean and Japanese government.
November 1990 The Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Sexual Slavery by Japan is formed.
April 1991 The Japanese government responds that there was no evidence of the forced drafting of Korean women and there will be no official apology, disclosure, memorial or further investigation.
August 1991 Kim Hak Soon, a sixty-eight former Comfort Woman, testimonies her experience as a Comfort Woman.
December 1991 Three former Comfort Women filed a lawsuit against the Japanese government in the Tokyo District Court.
January 1992 Yoshimi Yoshiaki, a Japanese history professor finds documents which proves the Japanese military was involved in the operation of the comfort stations.
1992 The Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Sexual Slavery by Japan issues the Comfort Women issue to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
July 1992 The Task Force on Filipino Comfort Women is formed.
August 1993 The Japanese government admits its obscure role in the operation of the comfort states for the Japanese solders but yet denies any legal responsibility.
1994 Radhika Coomaraswamy was appointed as a Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Woman by United Nations Commission of Human Rights.
1995 The Japanese government announces to establish a private compensation fund Asian Women's Fund.
March 1996 Committee of Experts of International Labor Organization (ILO) states that Military Sexual Slavery by Japan had violated the regulation against forced labor.
April 1996 The report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women, Radhika Coomaraswamy, was adopted by the United Nations Commission of Human Rights.
July ~ August 1996 Demonstration tour across Japan against Asian Women's Fund by The Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Sexual Slavery by Japan
January 1997 Asian Women's Fund secretly paid the atonement money to seven former Comfort Women.
July 1997 Members of US Congress introduced H. Res. 126 urging Japanese government to extend a formal apology and pay reparations to all the victims of Japanese war crimes during World War II.
April 27, 1998 District Court Judge Hideaki Chikashita of the Simonoseki court rules that the Japanese government should compensate three former Comfort Women.
August 1998 Gay J. McDougall report demanding compensation by the Japanese government to the Comfort Women was adopted by United Nations Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.
March 1999 International Labor Organization (ILO) states that the Comfort women should be compensated by the Japanese government not by the private fund Asian Women's Fund.
September 2000 A lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. by Fifteen former Comfort Women.
March 2001 Several Japanese congressmen propose the legislation to solve the Comfort Women issue.
October 2001 The first lawsuit filed in the U.S. Courts was dismissed by Judge Henry Kennedy.
December 2001 The Women's International War Crimes Tribunal on Japan's Military Sexual Slavery initiated in 2000 was given a decision in Hague Netherlands that Japan is guilty.
March 2002 500th Wednesday Demonstration at Japan's embassy in Korea by The Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Sexual Slavery by Japan
June 2003 The resolution H. Con. Res. 226 demanding the Japan's official and clear apology and compensation was introduced to the US Congress.
February 26 2005 The Japanese Supreme Court denies the claim by nine former Taiwanese Comfort Women for 95,000 USD compensation and an official apology from the Japanese government.
1868 Meiji Restoration - "Restoration" of power to the emperor and beginning of revolutionary changes including Japanese militarism under the Meiji emperor's reign1894~1895 First Sino-Japanese War - Conflict between China (Qing) and Japan for control of Korea1904~1905 Russo-Japanese War - Conflict between Russia and Japan on Manchuria and Korea. In consequence of Japan' defeat over Russia, Japan gained control of Korea and became an Asian Imperialistic country.1910 Japan colonizes Korea.1914~1918 World War I1931 Japan invades Manchuria and sets up a puppet state, Manchukuo in 1932.1932 First comfort station in Shanghai1937 Japan starts to establish systematic comfort stations throughout China and other Asian territories following the Rape of Nanking.1937~1945 Asian and Pacific War1939~1945 World War II1937~1945 Women from Korea, China and other Asian countries were forced or deceived to serve as sexual slaves in China and other Asian territories under Japans occupation.August 1945 Atomic Bombing on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in JapanSeptember 2 1945 Japan signs the unconditional surrender agreement.May 3 1946 International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE, the Tokyo War Crime Trial) was convened to try the military and political leaders for crimes against peace, general war crimes and crimes against humanity. The trial was only for class A criminals.1946~1948 The tribunals for class B and C criminals were held in 49 locations in other Asian countries.1948 The Batavia trial was held in Batavia, Indonesia. It is the only tribunal of IMTFE which includes a trial concerning sexual abuse of 35 Dutch comfort women. It convicted several Japanese military officers.June 1965 Korean-Japanese Agreement to establish diplomatic relations. It includes no claims for Comfort Women. The Korean government agrees to accept compensation from the Japanese government on the state level but not on the individual level.1988 Military Sexual Slavery by Japan on-the-Spot Survey was made by three members of Korea Church Women.May 1990 Korea Women's Associations United and Korean Council of University Women held a press conference and issued the statement regarding Military Sexual Slavery.June 1990 The Japanese government replies that neither of the government or the military was not involved in the Comfort Women issue.October 1990 Korean women's groups held a press conference and sent an open letter to the Korean and Japanese government.November 1990 The Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Sexual Slavery by Japan is formed.April 1991 The Japanese government responds that there was no evidence of the forced drafting of Korean women and there will be no official apology, disclosure, memorial or further investigation.August 1991 Kim Hak Soon, a sixty-eight former Comfort Woman, testimonies her experience as a Comfort Woman.December 1991 Three former Comfort Women filed a lawsuit against the Japanese government in the Tokyo District Court. January 1992 Yoshimi Yoshiaki, a Japanese history professor finds documents which proves the Japanese military was involved in the operation of the comfort stations.1992 The Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Sexual Slavery by Japan issues the Comfort Women issue to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.July 1992 The Task Force on Filipino Comfort Women is formed.August 1993 The Japanese government admits its obscure role in the operation of the comfort states for the Japanese solders but yet denies any legal responsibility.1994 Radhika Coomaraswamy was appointed as a Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Woman by United Nations Commission of Human Rights.1995 The Japanese government announces to establish a private compensation fund Asian Women's Fund.March 1996 Committee of Experts of International Labor Organization (ILO) states that Military Sexual Slavery by Japan had violated the regulation against forced labor.April 1996 The report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women, Radhika Coomaraswamy, was adopted by the United Nations Commission of Human Rights.July ~ August 1996 Demonstration tour across Japan against Asian Women's Fund by The Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Sexual Slavery by JapanJanuary 1997 Asian Women's Fund secretly paid the atonement money to seven former Comfort Women.July 1997 Members of US Congress introduced H. Res. 126 urging Japanese government to extend a formal apology and pay reparations to all the victims of Japanese war crimes during World War II.April 27, 1998 District Court Judge Hideaki Chikashita of the Simonoseki court rules that the Japanese government should compensate three former Comfort Women.August 1998 Gay J. McDougall report demanding compensation by the Japanese government to the Comfort Women was adopted by United Nations Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.March 1999 International Labor Organization (ILO) states that the Comfort women should be compensated by the Japanese government not by the private fund Asian Women's Fund.September 2000 A lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. by Fifteen former Comfort Women. March 2001 Several Japanese congressmen propose the legislation to solve the Comfort Women issue.October 2001 The first lawsuit filed in the U.S. Courts was dismissed by Judge Henry Kennedy.December 2001 The Women's International War Crimes Tribunal on Japan's Military Sexual Slavery initiated in 2000 was given a decision in Hague Netherlands that Japan is guilty.March 2002 500th Wednesday Demonstration at Japan's embassy in Korea by The Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Sexual Slavery by JapanJune 2003 The resolution H. Con. Res. 226 demanding the Japan's official and clear apology and compensation was introduced to the US Congress.February 26 2005 The Japanese Supreme Court denies the claim by nine former Taiwanese Comfort Women for 95,000 USD compensation and an official apology from the Japanese government.