The lawyer for the 35 plaintiffs holds a sign reading "unjust."

The ruling puts an end to a 13-year legal battle by the 35 plaintiffs, including relatives of victims who have died, who were seeking ¥20 million each in compensation from the government for their suffering.

The redress lawsuit, filed in 1991, was the first of its kind by former sex slaves, who were forced to serve at front-line brothels for the Japanese military. The sex slaves are euphemistically known in Japan as "comfort women."

The Tokyo District Court and Tokyo High Court rejected the plaintiffs' demands for damages, prompting the appeal to the top court.

Presiding Justice Osamu Tsuno of the Supreme Court said, "Compensation for damages caused by Japan during war is not envisioned" under the postwar Constitution.

The Japan Times Weekly: Dec. 4, 2004
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