earticle

영어

The silencing and shaming of Asian comfort women by Japan represent prime examples of dehumanization through female objectification. The Japanese government’s World War II-era sinful and evil predatory actions towards these women have been perpetuated in the years that have followed through the government’s political efforts to silence this history of women’s enslavement. Recognition of two faces of shame—the shame of the perpetrator, guilty of structural and social sin and evil of Japan, and the shame of victims, innocent but wrongly imposed upon by the perpetrator and their culture —can be a pivotal theological line of discussion and reflection. The shame of the formerly subjugated women, and the guilt shame of the Japanese government can only be alleviated with a substantive response to the growing call of social justice activism. This can be supported by theological and psychological reflection for the restoration of Asian comfort women’s human rights and by Japan’s proper apology and compensation directly for the victims and their families. The implications—of a theology of shame and guilt shame—promote awareness of the seriousness of dehumanization through the sex slavery system of sex-trafficking orchestrated by imperial Japan and invite comfort women, Japan, and their communities to move forward in reconciliation. It is through breaking the hold of tendencies of silencing and shaming that perpetuate the dehumanization of these women. Furthermore, this critical reflection can advance calls for social justice on behalf those who are victims of human-trafficking— particularly sex-trafficking—in modern days and a restoration of their full human rights from the dehumanization process of sex slavery.