World 'comfort women' museums urge Japan to reflect on history

TOKYO - Representatives of "comfort women" museums from Japan, South Korea, China, the Philippines and the United States convened their first conference in Tokyo on Saturday, urging the Japanese government to reflect upon history.

Women forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army before and during World War II were called "comfort women".

"The Japanese government, after so many years, still refuses to admit and reflect upon the 'comfort women' issue. We should enhance international cooperation and demand the Japanese government apologize and give compensation," said Eriko Ikeda, chairwoman of Women's Active Museum on War and Peace, or WAM, Japan's only museum focused on wartime sexual violence against women.