The official apology made in 1993 was prompted by a Japanese historian’s discovery of documents showing that the Imperial Japanese Army had been directly involved in setting up, though not necessarily in running, what were known as “comfort stations.” One of the official reasons was that widespread rape of Chinese women by Japanese soldiers was provoking too much resistance among the local population.
但日本却是个言论自由的民主国家。一位日本历史学家发现显示日本皇军虽然不一定直接参与所谓“慰安所”的经营，但却直接参与其设立的史料促成了1993年的官方道歉。设立慰安所的官方理由之一是日本士兵大范围强奸中国妇女引起了当地居民激烈的反抗行动。