Comfort women were women and girls forced into a prostitution corps created by the Empire of Japan during World War II. The name 'comfort women' is a translation of a Japanese name ianfu (???). Ianfu is a euphemism for shofu (??) whose meaning is 'prostitute'.

Estimates vary as to how many women were involved; with numbers ranging from as low as 20;000 to as high as 400;000; but the exact numbers are still being researched and debated. Many of the women were from occupied countries; including Korea; China; and the Philippines; although women from Burma; Thailand; Vietnam; Malaysia; Taiwan; Indonesia and other Japanese-occupied territories were used for military brothels.

Stations were located in Japan; China; the Philippines; Indonesia; then Malaya; Thailand; Burma; New Guinea; Hong Kong; Macau; and French Indochina. A smaller number of women of European origin from the Netherlands and Australia were also involved. Pictures From History