‘Comfort Girls’ by Dutch photographer Banning after four years can be seen in … – De Morgen

By: Merel Bem – 09/23/14, 11u48 – Source: De Volkskrant

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Dutch photographer Jan Banning made a penetrating portrait series of women in World War II were forced to have sex in Japanese army brothels. Only four years after publication, the photos can be seen in Japan.

There is Wainem again. The old Indonesian woman with piercing gaze in 2010 graced the cover of the book “Comfort Girls” by photographer Jan Banning (60). And now she stands prominently on the cover of the October issue of DAYS JAPAN, a committed Japanese magazine about documentary photography. A remarkable step, where, it hopes Banning, “uproar and debate” will come in

Wainem and other Indonesian women who were originally photographed by Banning refer only to one of the largest Japanese taboos:. The sexual exploitation of some 200,000 young Indonesian, Chinese, Korean and Dutch girls by Japanese soldiers during World War II. It is a subject that is still in Japan for political divisions creates between those who want recognition for the exploited women and the right-wing majority claiming that the girls were professional prostitutes. The current government led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has not been forthcoming in meeting women.

Between 2007 and 2009, traveled Jan Banning and journalist Hilde Janssen Indonesia to interview the now old ‘comfort women’ and to portray. Their project was exhibited in many places, including France, Denmark and Indonesia, but not in Japan. Now not only pays attention to DAYS JAPAN “Comfort Girls”, there is also talk of an exhibition in 2015, organized by the small Women’s Active Museum (WAM) on War and Peace in Tokyo.

Public debate
Banning calls the event “one of the most satisfying moments of my career. Has always been my aim to give a role in social photography debate. ” According to him, the chances are that it is “simmering” in Japan following the “provocative” act of photography magazine and plans of WAM. “I know how it is when you are in Japan looking for a place for such a topic:. Difficult because you will be thwarted on all sides”

Of the former comfort women will be the situation, happy dares Banning not to say with certainty. “We’re going to try to call them, but that will be tricky. Lot of them are deceased.’s Surviving women are hard to reach and additionally restrained., But I’ve noticed that some women as a kind of ‘empowerment’ have experienced our project. I suspect that they find it amazing that this is happening. ”