A landmark symposium in Shanghai this month marked the release of A Comprehensive History of the Japanese Military 'Comfort Women' System, a four-volume scholarly work exposing systematic documentation of wartime sexual slavery. Authored by Professors Su Zhiliang and Chen Lifei, the 2.16-million-character study synthesizes three decades of multinational research across Asia-Pacific regions.
The work draws from archival materials in eight countries and field investigations spanning China, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Timor-Leste. Researchers emphasized its significance in countering historical revisionism, particularly as 2025 marks 80 years since WWII's conclusion.
Scholars at the event praised the study's multilingual approach – incorporating Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Dutch sources – as crucial for preserving survivor testimonies and institutional records. The timing coincides with renewed regional discussions about historical reconciliation and gender-based violence prevention mechanisms.
