ComfortWomenActivismfollowsthemovementchampionedbypioneeractivistsinJapantodemonstratehowtheiractivismhaskeptacriticalinterpretationoftheatrocitiesagainstwomencommittedbeforeandduringWorldWarIIalive.Thebookshowshowthechallengesfacedbytheactivistshaveevolvedfromthebeginningoftheiruphillbattlesallthewaytocontemporarytimes.Theywereabletochangesocialattitudesandgettheirmessageacross.Yettheambiguouspositionofpost–WorldWarIIJapan’sgovernment―whichhasconsistentlyrejectedanysignofguiltoveritsimperialistpast―haskepttheactivistsontheirtoes.Pivotalandserendipitousturningpointshavealsoplayedacrucialrole.Inparticular,intheearly1990s,thepost-Sovietworldorderassistedincreatingtheappropriateconditionsforthemovementtogathertransnationalsupport.Theseconditionshaveerodedovertime;yetduetotheactivists’fidelitytosurvivors,themovementhaspersistedtothisday.Taiusestheactivists’narrativestoshowthemultifacetedaspectsofthemovement.Bymeasuringthesenarrativesagainstscholarlydebates,shearguesthatcomfortwomenactivisminJapancouldbecalledanewformoffeminism.
