Mouths: On Water and Whisky by Miji Ih

In 2020, the Ari Statue of Peace was installed in Berlin’s Moabit neighborhood. It was intended to commemorate the so-called “comfort women” across the Asia-Pacific region, who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II. The statue also honored the courage of survivors who broke decades of silence about their experiences. Its installation prompted protests from the Japanese government and sparked a broad public debate about how the “comfort women” are remembered. For Miji Ih, the Statue of Peace became the starting point for her engagement with the so-called “comfort women,” culminating in Mouths: On Water and Whisky, which connects their history with the lived realities of women around U.S. military bases in Japan, South Korea, and Germany.