Yesterday they brought me here, tomorrow they will release me and let me go home. I just have to get through today.

They were recruiting women for the Japanese war effort. We thought we would be secretaries, or nurses, or in the factories. Yesterday they sent me to the barracks. I was taken on a truck to, we didn't know where. The secrecy made us feel we were going somewhere important, it was our future, our destiny.

There were ten of us. We were young and excited. Our big adventure, our chance to do our part to win the war. What glorious stories we would tell our grandchildren.

We arrived at the port; I'd never seen such a huge ship or been to sea. I'd never been away from home before. There were many young women all waiting there, like us, nervous and excited, and a bit scared. The place was filled with troops, hundreds of them. They boarded us onto the ship, a little roughly, but we assumed this was war and they were used to dealing with men. The quarters were cramped and we never saw the sea. Food was brought to us and we were let out only to use the toilet. We were locked in; we assumed to keep us safe from the men.

Then we arrived. We were taken in land to what looked like a prison camp. Barbed wire fences, low huts and guards everywhere. Sand, only sand to see.

Then it started. He came. One of the officers. He told me to undress, I refused. I am a decent girl. He hit me with the hilt of his sword. Ran the blade over my body, slowly. He held it at my throat whilst he forced me to strip, and raped me. Laughing as he did. I learnt I was a comfort woman, and this was a comfort station.

Today, this afternoon, a ship load of soldiers arrived. Ten in the afternoon. When we were given rice, I could not walk to fetch it. This evening, another ten soldiers.

Today, a girl cried, only twelve, not old enough to bleed, yet her legs ran red. The woman in the next bed hit her head against the wall, over and over. We tried to stop her, but then realised, death was her only escape.

Today, an officer beat me, I'm bloody and bruised. No doctor, only soldiers.

Today, is my medical check. Forcibly checked for diseases. One of the women was being treated, she went into toxic shock and died as I sat waiting and watching. Nobody tried to save her.

Today, one of the women was pregnant. They squeezed her belly until the baby fell out, then sent her back to the soldiers, no time to grieve or clean up properly.

Today, one of the new girls fought back as she was raped for the first time. She fought too hard. The officer had his guards hold her down whilst he beat her. We heard the snap of bones. We heard her take her last breath.

Today, the guard left his keys and we tried to escape. We were caught trying to escape the barbed wire fence. One got away into the desert. We allowed ourselves to hope whilst they beat us as punishment. She was returned later, dragged in barely conscious, and she left this place for the last time that night.

Today, the woman three beds down, screamed. She screamed over and over as the soldier tore her apart inside. We could not do anything; we were under soldiers. The soldiers did nothing to help her, or stop him. They all laughed as they left.

Today, I saw a woman sick with fever, I thought she would die. It was not gonorrhoea or syphilis so they didn't treat her.

There have been too many todays, and yesterday was so long ago. I hope tomorrow is soon.

Today, they called us from our beds and took us outside, we thought another camp, or to kill us. But we are to be released. Today is tomorrow, and it is 1945 and yesterday was 1939.

Today, my family sent me away with shame, I am alone and scared.

Today, the Japanese government called us liars and denied what happened.

The present is now, and we fight for justice, for the Japanese government to stop denying, to acknowledge us, to pay compensation so it never happens again.

To say sorry.