The earliest documented reports of sexual violence against Japanese women by occupying forces appear immediately after Japan’s surrender in August 1945 , during the opening days of the U.S.-led occupation. Reports also indicate the Japanese government reacted within days by creating the Recreation and Amusement Association on August 28, 1945 , partly out of fear of assaults by incoming troops.

What the records show

  • There were reported rapes and other sexual assaults by Allied servicemen in the early occupation period, beginning in late August and September 1945.
  • At the same time, the Japanese government organized brothels for occupying troops almost right away after surrender, which is a separate issue from rape but part of the same postwar context.
  • A later historical study notes that claims of mass rape during the occupation are not well supported, even though individual assaults did occur.

Important distinction

The phrase “occupiers” can mean different things, so it helps to separate two topics:

  • Japanese women assaulted by Allied occupation troops in Japan: documented from 1945 onward , especially at the start of the occupation.
  • “Comfort women” under the Japanese military in Asia: this refers to a different system, where the Japanese army forced many women into sexual slavery during World War II.

If you want, I can also give you a short timeline of the first occupation months in Japan.