This digital archive gathers poetry that bears witness to the lives of women who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II, women euphemistically referred to as “comfort women.” Through verse, survivors, contemporary poets, and later generations have sought to name trauma, honor resilience, and confront silence.
The archive is both a literary and historical resource. It provides access to works written in direct testimony, as well as poems composed in memory of the victims and in solidarity with their struggles. By preserving these voices in one place, the archive seeks to illuminate the human cost of wartime violence, the enduring weight of memory, and the capacity of poetry to carry grief, resistance, and truth across generations.
Intended for scholars, students, and general readers alike, this collection is meant not only to support research and education but also to serve as a space for reflection. In bringing together these works, the archive honors the women’s lives and insists that their stories remain part of our shared cultural and moral consciousness.
All poems and translations included in this archive are the intellectual property of their respective authors, translators, or estates. They are reproduced here for educational and research purposes only.
If you are a rights holder and believe material has been used without proper attribution or permission, please contact [email protected].