Original Memorials and Analysis

   The predominant imagery of each Statue of Peace is a young girl, around her teenage years. She is representative of the young women and girls who were forcefully and systematically kidnapped and sexual abused by the Japanese Imperial military during the Second World War. As the majority of them were young teenage girls, the statues reflect the majority age of the victims. 

   The hair is cropped short, falling to just about the chin and jaw. This short, blunt hairstyle is symbolic of the way in which these girls had their relationships with friends and family - and in some cases, their lives - cut off against their wills. The hair exposes the neck, leaving a sense of vulnerability and forced openness. Sometimes, however, in the winter months, visitors give these girls hats and scarves so as to protect them and keep them warm - a sentiment that reflects the collective shame, guilt, and want for an apology for these girls. 

   The faces are steady, but reveal a hint of anger about their treatment. They are, however, unafraid, full of the will necessary to face the issue. These women were victims, yes, but to only regard them as such is somewhat reductuve. They are also incredibly strong in face of terrible pain and suffering, and this is reflected in the bravery displayed by these bronze faces.

   Many statues include a bird on the shoulder of a girl, most times a robin. This bird is a symbol of peace, freedom, and liberation. By including this bird, the creators connect those victims who did not make it through (those who 'returned to the sky', a common phrase in reference to this ordeal) with those who are still left on the ground, those who were able to tell their stories and demand justice.

   The hands of the girls are most commonly clenched, tying into that steely facial expression. There is a certain anger here, yes, but also a determination to no longer stay silent regarding the wartime atrocities committed by Japan. These women, and therefore the girls reflected in the statues, will tell the truth.

   The feet of the girls are bare, echoing the vulnerability expressed by the short hair. Their heels are unattached to the ground, referencing the unstable lives of the victims who, through historical revisionism and cultural shame, were many times regarded as 'prostitutes' or 'sluts', treated coldly by society.

   Behind the bronze girl lays a shadow painted onto the tiled cement flooring of the memorial. Despite the statue being that of a girl, the shadow shows an old woman. This is reflective of the hardships suffered by the victims during and ever since World War II, through events that no doubt forced them to age faster than otherwise natural.

The empty chair next to the girls represents, like the bird, the women and girls who did not survive. They are forever with us, and represented in these memorials. Though they are not alive to share their stories or demand justice, they are present through these memorials that catch public attention and bring knowledge to what has happened.