Nationwide debate over "comfort women" will probably not end soon. Did wartime Japanese authorities really abduct Korean women for sex slavery, and is it the key question? Should school textbooks cover the issue and should Japan alone be mentioned regarding such practices?
Historical revisionists first gained momentum after last summer when it was reported that junior high school textbooks would mention the comfort women for the first time. The antirevisionist camp, which claims Japan was in the wrong, became more active after this. Venues for the debate include the media, Internet and symposiums.
The primary players are scholars and intellectuals. But many others have joined the fray, which has led to a lawsuit regarding the textbook revision, local-level assembly members taking action against the books, the formation of antirevisionist groups and an editorial cross fire between major newspapers.