Controversial Aichi Comfort Women Statue Exhibit to Reopen

Nagoya, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)--The Aichi prefectural government plans to reopen a canceled exhibition featuring a statue of a girl symbolizing so-called comfort women, as early as Sunday, officials said Monday. The "After 'Freedom of Expression?'" exhibit, part of the ongoing Aichi Triennale 2019 art festival, started on Aug. 1 but was suspended two days later due to safety concerns after it drew a storm of protest. A prebooking system, numbered tickets and other measures will be introduced for the reopening, the officials said. "With only two weeks to go until the end of the festival, I'll go ahead with talks in good faith with concerned people," Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura told reporters. In order to smooth the way for the reopening, "we'll explain the ideas of the art works and create ways to showcase them," said Omura, who heads the executive committee of the festival. Comfort women are a sensitive issue between Japan and its neighbors because many, mainly Koreans, were forced into prostitution for Japanese soldiers before and during World War II. Organizing members of the exhibition in September filed an application with Nagoya District Court for an order for the executive committee to reopen the event. The two sides reached a settlement on Monday after the prefectural government agreed to show the same art works displayed before the cancellation and take thorough safety measures. They are considering reopening the exhibition sometime between Sunday and Oct. 8, the officials said. On Wednesday, Omura expressed his intent to reopen the event after an expert panel set up by the prefectural government suggested the suspension be ended swiftly after conditions are met. END