The Historical Science Society of Japan and 15 other groups related to historical studies are calling on the nation to face up to the issue of the "comfort women," who were forced to work in wartime Japanese military brothels.
In a statement Monday, the groups criticized politicians and the media for arguing that there is no evidence females were forcibly procured for the brothels, following the Asahi Shimbun's retraction of a series of articles it published on the comfort women decades ago.
Calling the behavior "unjust," the groups said that "continuing to take an irresponsible attitude by averting its eyes from the fact is tantamount to sending the message internationally that Japan does not respect human rights."