The Wednesday Demonstration in front of the Japanese Embassy in Korea is heading toward its 900th session. The Wednesday Demonstration, which began on January 8, 1992, has been ongoing for nearly two decades. Nevertheless, the Japanese government is delaying making an apology and offering compensation to the victims of the Japanese military "comfort women" system. At noon on March 9, at the 856th Wednesday Demonstration, we met with MURAYAMA Itpei, a researcher at the History Museum at the House of Sharing. MURAYAMA speaks in a low, gentle voice. His sincerity and the depth of his thoughts are unusual for such a young person, whether in Korea or Japan.

You are currently working as a researcher at the House of Sharing in order to find a solution to the comfort women issue. How did you become involved?

I came to Korea in 2003 as an exchange student. I already knew about the Japanese military "comfort women" system, but it was difficult for me to meet the "comfort women." I suppose there was a part of me that wanted to avoid the encounter. But then I had a chance to visit the House of Sharing through a program for Korea-Japan student exchanges and interaction. There was nothing I could say as I listened to the testimonials of the former "comfort women."

On my way back from the House of Sharing, I realized I could not return to Japan like this. I could not let myself ignore a problem I knew needed fixing. The next day, I went back to the House of Sharing by myself, and this is how my involvement with it began.

You had gone back to Japan, only to return in April 2004 as a researcher at the House of Sharing. What happened?

I returned to Japan because I had completed the exchange program. It pained me that I was unable attend the funeral service of Ms. KIM Sun-deok (die at 83), who had passed away right before my departure. I was planning to go on to graduate school and study the damage and suffering sustained by the Joseon people during the Pacific War. But then I got a call from Korea. YAJIMA Sukasa, who had been working as a researcher at the House of Sharing, was leaving his post due to personal reasons. I was asked to take over.

Tell us about the History Museum at the House of Sharing.

The History Museum at the House of Sharing, founded in 1998, collects materials on the Japanese military "comfort women" system and shares it with the public. The museum serves to spread awareness on the wartime violations of women's human rights, works toward getting an apology and compensation from the Japanese government, and aims to foster a consensus on the" comfort women" issue in order to prevent such an atrocity from ever recurring. There are many tasks that the History Museum's researchers undertake, but being that I am the only researcher who speaks Japanese, I generally take reservations from Japanese visitors and serve as their guide. A tour of the House of Sharing takes about an hour and a half, taking into consideration the time that goes into interpretation. Some tour agencies bringing Japanese visitors to the House ask that we cut down the tour time; however, we try not to compromise. Given the pain and suffering the "comfort women" were forced to endure, we feel that the duration of our tour is necessary for the visitors to face the facts of history. In addition, I also communicate with our supporters in Japan and translate and organize newly discovered materials. Last year, I revamped our display by adding to it very old materials that had been left out. It was something I had really wanted to do as a researcher, so it was very rewarding.

You said that resolving the "comfort women" issue requires not only compensation from the Japanese government but also the interest from the Korean public. What do you think are some ways that the Korean government and the Korean people can contribute to resolving the issue?

The number of Korean visitors to the History Museum dropped significantly to 2,600 people in 2007 from some 4,000 people the year before. On the other hand, the number of Japanese visitors have stayed more or less the same, at around 2,600 in 2007 and around 2,300 in 2008. Last year, governments around the world, including the U.S. and EU governments, adopted resolutions urging the Japanese government to issue an apology over the "comfort women" system. As such, international attention on the issue has grown. Nonetheless, the interest from the people of the victimized nation itself, the Korean people, is dwindling. The former "comfort women" at the House of Sharing are passing away one by one. Many people come to offer their respects at their funerals. They are, of course, doing their part to honor the dead, but it is unfortunate that not more people come to see these women more often when they are still alive. I wish people took a greater and more consistent interest in the "comfort women."

Recently, there was a groundbreaking ceremony for the establishment of the Museum of War and Women's Human Rights within the Seodaemun History Museum. It caused an uproar as some organizations related to the Korean Independence Movement and the families of Korean freedom fighters opposed its construction. What are your thoughts on the matter?

I feel that the "comfort women" issue was something I needed to first learn about as a man, rather than as a Japanese. I was very shocked when I first heard about the hardship that the "comfort women" had been forced to endure. What was especially astounding was that even though the women were victims, physically and psychologically, they were very ashamed about it, beating themselves up as though they were somehow to blame for having been forced to be "comfort women."　They are not the wrongdoers that need to make amends, and yet, they are the ones who are still suffering. Seeing their struggle made be reflect on how I, as a man, have treated women. The Japanese military "comfort women"　issue is not an issue of the past. To this very day, distorted views on women and their rights lead to sex crimes. As with all other victims of wartime sexual violence, the "comfort women" were sisters and daughters and potential wives and mothers of happy homes. In my opinion, the opposition in Korea to building the Museum of War and Women's Human Rights derives from the tendency of avoiding the "comfort women" issue by considering it a bygone matter that has no relevance today or to us. And yet, the issue is an ongoing and universal problem.

Who is the most memorable former "comfort woman" you have met during you tenure as a researcher at the House of Sharing?

It has to be Ms. MUN Pil-gi (died at 83), who passed away last year. She was taken to Manchuria, China as a "comfort woman" in 1943. She came to the House of Sharing in 2003 and worked very hard to get her testimonial out to as many people as she could. After giving her testimonial to the visitors, she would spend the night in even greater agony. Getting the truth out is very important, but it is also a painful process for the former "comfort women" who have to relive their painful experiences. Ms. MUN was a courageous woman, traveling to Japan and the United States to share her experiences. Nonetheless, when she got ill and was staying at the hospital, she did not want the other patients to know that she had been a "comfort woman." It was heartbreaking. She had a hard time pronouncing my name Itpei and would call me "Ippai." Because she had been in China for so long, she sometimes had a hard time understanding Korean. She was the reason why I decided to learn Chinese.

What are you thoughts on Korea-Japan exchanges, and what are your future plans?

Exchanges should not be about a superficial show of friendship. The two nations must become friends through and through. For this to happen, face-to-face contact is necessary. Some are worried that Dokdo, the "comfort women" issue, and other such points of historical contention impede Korea-Japan exchanges. But without looking straight into history's eyes, it is very difficult to engage in sincere exchanges. The Japanese say that they do not know much about the shared history between Korea and Japan because opportunities for gaining such knowledge and understanding are limited. But there are more than enough opportunities. They don't know because they don't want to know. If they keep their antenna up to the issues between the two nations and try to find solutions rather than avoid the issue altogether, they will learn. And in so doing, we can all find the first steps toward resolving the historical conflicts that plague Korea and Japan. When I came to Korea, I told myself I would stay for at least five years. Now, though, I don't have a set timetable. My father actually tells me to stay on permanently. I would one day like to go to China, meet the victims of Japanese military sexual slavery there, find related materials, and conduct research on them.