To: Governor Gavin Newsom
Osaka Governor's Visit to CA Governor Brown - Call on Osaka Governor's stance on "Comfort Women"
Governor Jerry Brown,
I just learned that Osaka Prefecture Governor Ichiro Matsui is going to meet with you this month. I would like to express my concern about his visit.
You may be aware that Osaka City Mayor Hashimoto has made outrageous comments justifying Japan’s wartime sex slave system, so-called “comfort women.” In response to his comments, Hashimoto has been severely condemned by US Government, SF Mayor, SF Board of Supervisors, SF Dept. on Status of Women, female Nobel Peace Prize laureates, Filipino American WWII veterans, to just name a few. Also a United Nations committee called on Japan to prevent hate speech and other actions that degrade former sex slave victims.
Although originally Matsui and Hashimoto were jointly planning to visit California, Hashimoto cancelled his visit because of the international criticism and pressure.
The reason why I am very alarmed by your plan to meet with Matsui is that Matsui is a close ally of Hashimoto in Osaka. Hashimoto insists that there is no proof that “comfort women” were forced into sexual slavery. I am outraged that Hashimoto is still inflicting pain on the survivors of the sexual slavery through his statements. It is like neo-Nazi members claim what Holocaust survivors are saying is not true.
While Hashimoto explicitly makes those outrageous statements about WWII sexual slavery, Matsui remains evasive about his stance on this issue even though he supports Hashimoto’s position. Moreover, Matsui is the Secretary General of a right-wing political party, Japan Restoration Party, of which Hashimoto and Ishihara (former Tokyo Governor) are the Co-Leaders. Shintaro Ishihara even does not admit that the war was a war of aggression during which Japan invaded other Asian countries ruthlessly.
I would like to ask you, Governor Brown, to have Matsui clarify his stance on this issue and announce it publically. It is very important for California residents to know that the state will not stand by human rights violations.
Thank you for your time.
Sachi Inoue, PhD
Licensed Psychologist
I just learned that Osaka Prefecture Governor Ichiro Matsui is going to meet with you this month. I would like to express my concern about his visit.
You may be aware that Osaka City Mayor Hashimoto has made outrageous comments justifying Japan’s wartime sex slave system, so-called “comfort women.” In response to his comments, Hashimoto has been severely condemned by US Government, SF Mayor, SF Board of Supervisors, SF Dept. on Status of Women, female Nobel Peace Prize laureates, Filipino American WWII veterans, to just name a few. Also a United Nations committee called on Japan to prevent hate speech and other actions that degrade former sex slave victims.
Although originally Matsui and Hashimoto were jointly planning to visit California, Hashimoto cancelled his visit because of the international criticism and pressure.
The reason why I am very alarmed by your plan to meet with Matsui is that Matsui is a close ally of Hashimoto in Osaka. Hashimoto insists that there is no proof that “comfort women” were forced into sexual slavery. I am outraged that Hashimoto is still inflicting pain on the survivors of the sexual slavery through his statements. It is like neo-Nazi members claim what Holocaust survivors are saying is not true.
While Hashimoto explicitly makes those outrageous statements about WWII sexual slavery, Matsui remains evasive about his stance on this issue even though he supports Hashimoto’s position. Moreover, Matsui is the Secretary General of a right-wing political party, Japan Restoration Party, of which Hashimoto and Ishihara (former Tokyo Governor) are the Co-Leaders. Shintaro Ishihara even does not admit that the war was a war of aggression during which Japan invaded other Asian countries ruthlessly.
I would like to ask you, Governor Brown, to have Matsui clarify his stance on this issue and announce it publically. It is very important for California residents to know that the state will not stand by human rights violations.
Thank you for your time.
Sachi Inoue, PhD
Licensed Psychologist
Why is this important?
Japan's Osaka Prefecture Governor, Ichiro Matsui, is planning to meet with California Governor Jerry Brown in mid June 2013. Matsui is known to be a close ally of Osaka City Mayor, Toru Hashimoto, who has publically denied that WWII Japanese military forced women and girls in Korea and other Asian countries to be sexual slaves. It is important for Governor Brown to call on Matsui to clarify his stance on this issue to demonstrate that California will not stand by anyone who violates human rights.