Tuesday, May 22nd. Women's Rights and War Museum

Women’s War Museum-Entire GSP Group

                To find the Woman’s Rights and War Museum we had to, “travel off the beaten path.”The obscure location of the site is reflective of the current state of public discourse surrounding the violation against woman’s rights during WWII—such discourse is the less traveled road towards redemption and reconciliation. Everything about the building of the site to the contents is representative and symbolic of the struggle and pain caused by Japanese Imperial Army and violations against women throughout the world.

                The imagery and intention of each room was very provocative and stirred many emotions inside me—mostly those of pain, fear, and despair.  The black silhouettes with a blossom tree contained within to me represented the innocence, life, and love inside each individual. They were still flowers even though their light and life had been blotted out during this horrible experience. The somber position of the figures, their blackness; the blossom tree; the concrete wall; the gravel and sound of footsteps all prepared the dark period we were to enter.

                The dark, moist, and dank stench in the basement is still an unbelievable experience. The woman interviewed revealed a lot to me. Drawn by the lines on her face and the piercing look in her eyes I saw a history and a story of anger, sadness, contempt, and deep emotional and physical pain. Others may have seen different things, given each of our experiences and perspectives each of us may have interpreted her differently.

                We left the darkness and entered the light, but the struggle wasn’t necessarily over—in fact it had just begun. The darkness had passed but the pain, learning, and reconciliation process is still going on. The museum is also a means of educating individuals about the “comfort woman issue” and providing historical evidence of sexual-slavery during the War. The issue is still refuted and denied by some Japanese individuals today, perhaps more than we would like. We can’t forget that this was an intentional and organized system of sexual slavery. We have also learned that violence against woman and children and the violation of Woman’s rights are directly correlated with war and conflict amongst countries. The museum represents the past, but also a better future for the generations who see this place. How can we avoid and prevent such things from continuing to happen?

                Members of our group had strong emotional reactions in different ways; some cried and others remained silent but remained attentive. I believe all of us thought and felt deeply that day. I wondered how people connected to the museum, and in what manner people experienced the content. Many stated they were angry about the situation. Angry and frustrated that the Imperial forces could have done this, and that today it is still denied. Others had much more personal experiences to the content.

Food for thought:

                I wonder what other perspectives could provide us with a change, or further development towards a solution? We discovered that many players are contributing to the conflict we see today, not only the Japanese government. For example, the Korean government has continued to resist the process as well. In some way it has actively tried to sweep the issue under the table. We also discussed the position of the U.S. and how it could do more to make a serious impact. Just a thought, but how do the North Koreans view this issue?

                The difficulty is putting thought and feelings of deep emotional significance into practice. It requires a way to connect personally to the experience and maintain the feeling day in and day out. How do you actively practice change in your life? What difference will you make in your behavior when you return home? Will people notice that you are not the same person you were when you left three weeks ago?

~May you all blossom and flower into beautiful human beings.