A great number of people took part in the rally sponsored by the national action for the settlement of the issue of comfort women for the Imperial Japanese Army, which consists of more than 50 civic organizations.

The participants in the rally urged the need for the Abe government to have proper understanding of the issue of sexual slavery, stressing that only genuine settlement of the issue would become a starting point for settling the issue of violence against women in the Japanese society.

There are serious sexual molesting and violence against women in Japan, they said, adding that Japan is going backward in terms of human rights.

They also quoted the Osaka mayor as saying that he would cut off relations with San Francisco over the San Francisco city government's approval for the erection of a statue of sexual slave, noting this clearly proves Japan's level of understanding of human rights.