Japan exhibit organisers defend pulling 'comfort woman' statue, opponents claim censorship

Record ID: 1429663

  • Title: Japan exhibit organisers defend pulling 'comfort woman' statue, opponents claim censorship
  • Date: 2nd September 2019
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (SEPTEMBER 2, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** JOURNALISTS TAKING PHOTOS OF ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF AICHI TRIENNALE 2019, DAISUKE TSUDA, SEATED FOR NEWS CONFERENCE NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF AICHI TRIENNALE 2019, DAISUKE TSUDA, SAYING: "I was honestly surprised that several politicians made comments directly on the subject matter of the exhibition, including those made by the chief cabinet secretary on the culture ministry's funding (of the project)." NEW CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF AICHI TRIENNALE 2019, DAISUKE TSUDA, SAYING: "The fact that many of the threatening phone calls and faxes were referring to this incident (the recent Kyoto Animation arson attack), it was so realistic and led to great psychological stress for staff members. It was something we hadn't predicted." STATUE OF THE GIRL OF PEACE MINIATURE ON TABLE IN FRONT OF STATUE OF THE GIRL OF PEACE EXHIBIT ORGANISER, YUKA OKAMOTO NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) ORGANISER OF STATUE OF THE GIRL OF PEACE EXHIBIT, YUKA OKAMOTO, SAYING: "The decision made by the authority not to show the works and its violation of freedom of speech, I believe, falls under censorship." STATUE OF THE GIRL OF PEACE MINIATURE ON TABLE (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) ORGANISER OF STATUE OF THE GIRL OF PEACE EXHIBIT, YUKA OKAMOTO, SAYING: "In regards to the 'Statue of the Girl of Peace' (the Comfort Woman Statue) which became a target of the attacks, this is a work of art that depicts a hope for the world without any war or sexual violence as well as the recovery of women's rights and dignity." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
  • Embargoed: 16th September 2019 09:57
  • Keywords: Japan South Korea art exhibition statue comfort women
  • Location: TOKYO, JAPAN
  • City: TOKYO, JAPAN
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA001AUYRCXZ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Organisers of the Japanese art exhibit that pulled a statue symbolising "comfort women" defended their move on Monday (September 2) as realistic given violent threats amid worsening tensions between Japan and South Korea, while opponents decried it as censorship.
    Comfort women is a euphemism for the women, many of them Korean, who were forced to work in Japan's World War Two brothels. Japan says the comfort women issue was settled by past agreements and apologies, and under a 2015 deal Tokyo apologised and gave 1 billion yen to a fund to help the women. Many Koreans say Tokyo did not go far enough and Seoul disbanded the fund last year, saying it was flawed.
    The "Statue of a Girl of Peace" exhibit attracted a flood of complaints within days of the August 1 opening of the Aichi Triennale in central Japan, and it was pulled after a number of "terror threats" by phone and by email, Aichi's governor said in early August.
    The exhibition's artistic director, Daisuke Tsuda, told a news conference in Tokyo organisers had been surprised by "the rapid deterioration" in the bilateral relationship between the two nations as well as threats that referred to an arson attack on an animation company in Kyoto in which 35 died.
    At a separate news conference, though, Yuka Okamoto - who planned the statue's exhibition - said the decision amounted to censorship and restriction of free speech.
    "In regards to 'Statue of a Girl of Peace,' which became a target of the attacks, this is a work of art hoping for a world without any war or sexual violence, as well as for a recovery of women's rights and dignity," she added.
    The statue has been bought by a Spanish businessman who intends to exhibit it at a "freedom museum" he plans to open in Barcelona next year.
    (Production: Yasuteru Ueda, Chris Gallagher, Kwiyeon Ha, Joseph Campbell)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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