Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
This video contains references to sexual violence. Viewer discretion is advised.
IWM Curator James Bulgin explores the reality of sexual trafficking across the Japanese Empire during the Second World War.
This story was explored in Unsilenced: Sexual Violence in Conflict, an exhibition at IWM London which closed on 2 November 2025. iwm.org.uk/events/unsilenced-sexual-violence-in-conflict
00:00 "Comfort Women"
01:41 Expansion of Japan's Empire
02:15 Early Instances of Military Ran Brothels
03:39 The Shanghai Incident
05:06 How Nanking solidified the system
06:25 WW2 expands the trafficking system
10:25 What happened to the women after WW2?
12:16 Modern day response
Explore and licence the film clips used in this video:
film.iwmcollections.org.uk/collections/_WAZmym95
Follow IWM on social media:
https://x.com/I_W_M
instagram.com/imperialwarmuseums
facebook.com/iwm.london
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Shinzō Abe 20200101 by Government of Japan from Wikimedia Commons. CC BY 4.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
KOCIS Korea President Park Eurasia Conference 04, 2013 from Wikimedia Commons. CC BY 2.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
PSVI DAY ONE - 531 (52531581074) from Wikimedia Commons. CC BY 2.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
PSVI_DAY_ONE_-_639_(52530826387) from Wikimedia Commons. CC BY 2.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
Kim Hak Sun by MBC PD수첩 from Wikimedia Commons CC BY 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
Comfort Women, rally in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, August 2011, by Claire Solery from Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
Comfort Women, rally in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, August 2011 (2) by Claire Solery from Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
Comfort Women, rally in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, August 2011 (4) by Claire Solery from Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
2012 National Foundation Day Wednesday Demonstration, by Pudmaker from Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
This video contains references to sexual violence. Viewer discretion is advised.
IWM Curator James Bulgin explores the reality of sexual trafficking across the Japanese Empire during the Second World War.
This story was explored in Unsilenced: Sexual Violence in Conflict, an exhibition at IWM London which closed on 2 November 2025. iwm.org.uk/events/unsilenced-sexual-violence-in-conflict
00:00 "Comfort Women"
01:41 Expansion of Japan's Empire
02:15 Early Instances of Military Ran Brothels
03:39 The Shanghai Incident
05:06 How Nanking solidified the system
06:25 WW2 expands the trafficking system
10:25 What happened to the women after WW2?
12:16 Modern day response
Explore and licence the film clips used in this video:
film.iwmcollections.org.uk/collections/_WAZmym95
Follow IWM on social media:
https://x.com/I_W_M
instagram.com/imperialwarmuseums
facebook.com/iwm.london
tiktok.com/@imperialwarmuseums
Shinzō Abe 20200101 by Government of Japan from Wikimedia Commons. CC BY 4.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
KOCIS Korea President Park Eurasia Conference 04, 2013 from Wikimedia Commons. CC BY 2.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
PSVI DAY ONE - 531 (52531581074) from Wikimedia Commons. CC BY 2.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
PSVI_DAY_ONE_-_639_(52530826387) from Wikimedia Commons. CC BY 2.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
Kim Hak Sun by MBC PD수첩 from Wikimedia Commons CC BY 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
Comfort Women, rally in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, August 2011, by Claire Solery from Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
Comfort Women, rally in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, August 2011 (2) by Claire Solery from Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
Comfort Women, rally in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, August 2011 (4) by Claire Solery from Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
2012 National Foundation Day Wednesday Demonstration, by Pudmaker from Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
