In 2013 the Comfort Women Justice Coalition^[1], along with eleven other human rights groups, raised money for a San Francisco memorial to the 200,000 plus women who were sexually enslaved to provide “comfort” to Japanese soldiers before and during World War II^[2]. Designed by renowned Carmel, California bronze sculptor Steven Whyte (1969 – ), the statue is ten feet high and depicts three teenage girls: one Chinese, one Korean, and one Philippine, standing atop a pedestal holding hands while facing out. At its base stands a fourth figure looking up at them: she is Korean human rights activist Kim Hak-Sun – the first woman to come forward publicly about her experience. Located at 651 California in St. Mary’s Square, Comfort Women: Column of Strength was unveiled in September 2017.

A sister-city partnership between Osaka, Japan and San Francisco had existed since 1957. It supported student exchanges and cultural events. In April 2019, Hirofumi Yoshimura became governor of the Osaka Prefecture. He took offense at San Francisco’s Comfort Women memorial in light of the fact that Japan had made amends to Korea and paid restitution. He did not have a problem with the statue itself, but with the inscription, feeling that it singled Japan out for World War II atrocities. He pointed out that the plaque should be changed to raise awareness of sex trafficking in all countries. He was quoted as saying, “…I would suggest that some of the special attention currently being given to Japan’s ‘comfort women’ issue be broadened to memorialize all women who have been sexually assaulted and abused by soldiers of countries in the world.”  San Francisco refused to change the memorial in any way and in October 2018 Yoshimura severed sister-city ties. Mayor London Breed said in response, “These victims deserve our respect and this memorial reminds us of all events and lessons we must never forget.”

^[1] Visit them at https://remembercomfortwomen.org