Japan protests New Zealand’s ‘comfort women’ statue, warns of diplomatic consequences <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nThe Japanese Embassy has issued a warning that diplomatic relations between Japan and New Zealand could be strained over a “comfort woman” statue that is expected to be installed in an Auckland garden. <\/p>\n
The bronze statue symbolizes the thousands of women who were forced into sexual slavery by Japan before and during World War II. The statue, donated by the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance, depicts a girl sitting next to an empty chair in memory of survivors of wartime sexual violence.<\/p>\n
In case of approval by local authorities at the April 28 meeting, the statue will be placed in the Korean Cultural Garden at Barry Point Reserve in Auckland.<\/p>\n
Japanese Ambassador Makoto Osawa cautioned the Auckland Council that “increasing interest” in the issue could harm Japan’s relations with both South Korea and New Zealand.<\/p>\n
According to Osawa, if the New Zealand government approved funding for the installation infrastructure, the act would be construed as official state support. <\/p>\n
A spokesperson for the Japanese Embassy also suggested that the installation could cause disunity and conflict between the Korean and Japanese communities, which could ultimately lead to a diplomatic fallout. <\/p>\n
Between 1932 and 1945, an estimated 200,000 women were forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army. While most were Korean, victims also included women from China, Southeast Asia, Japan, and Europe. They were referred to by the euphemism “comfort women”. <\/p>\n
The historical trauma of “comfort women” remains a source of friction between South Korea and Japan. The first “peace statue” was erected in Seoul in 2011 in honor of the victims, sparking global movements around the world. <\/p>\n
In 2018, Osaka severed ties with San Francisco after the city approved the installation of a similar statue as public property. <\/p>\n
In 2022, Tokyo protested the installation of a statue in a South Korean botanical garden, calling it an inexcusable violation of international protocols. <\/p>\n
Later, the controversy spread to Europe in 2025, when a similar statue was removed from Berlin. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n