Description: Ordinary women helped restart Japan's postwar recovery by selling sex to Allied servicemen, but they were sacrificed as symbols of national shame by a country that has yet to recover full sovereignty.
Review Quotes: "Sarah Kovner's path breaking study of the Japanese sex industry during the Allied occupation brings to light that the Japanese historical toleration of state-regulated prostitution nonetheless has its limits when confronted with a new reality . . . Occupying Power: Sex Workers and Servicemen in Postwar Japan otherwise makes a compelling case and should be regarded as an indispensable read for all students who explore the history of commercial sex in Japan, the Asia-Pacific region, and beyond."--Yuma Totani "American Historical Review"