Japan mayor apologizes to U.S., denies wrong words on "comfort women" Hashimoto retracted the remarks on suggesting U.S. servicemen to "use of legal adult entertainment." But the mayor rejected to retract his wrong words about so-called "comfort women" in wartime. Hashimoto's improper words on the "comfort women" have alienated its party allies and Japanese citizens. TOKYO, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Japan's Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto on Monday apologized to the United States for improper remarks on suggesting U.S. servicemen to "use of legal adult entertainment," but rejected to retract his wrong words about so-called "comfort women" in wartime. Osaka Mayor Hashimoto made the apology at Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan and said he retracted the remarks he told U.S. commander in Okinawa that "the use of the legally accepted adult entertainment industry in Japan should be considered" so as to reduce offenses made by U.S. servicemen. I understand that my remark could be construed as an insult to the U.S. forces and to the American people, and therefore was inappropriate. I retract this remark and express an apology," he told the press conference. While apologizing to the United States, the outspoken politician denied his wrong words on wartime sexual slave system, saying it was not his intention at all to say women who were used as sexual slaves during wartime are necessary. The right-wing politician criticized media for "reporting only a portion of each of his remarks" and the media reports were cut off from the whole context. Hashimoto said he stated that the armed forces of nations in the world seemed to have needed women "during the past wars," but his words were wrongly reported by media as "he himself thought it as necessary for armed forces to use women and that he tolerated it." "It is extremely regrettable that only the cut-off parts of my remarks have been reported worldwide and that these reports have resulted in misunderstood meanings of the remarks, which are utterly contrary to what I actually intended," said Hashimoto. Hashimoto, the co-head of Japan Restoration Party, added that it is "not a fair attitude" to blame Japan only as sexual violation in wartime was "not an issue unique" to the former Japanese army, saying the issue existed in the United State, France, Germany and other countries in the World War II. Furthermore, in an effort to whitewash the Japanese government' s involvement and responsibilities on the "comfort women" issue, Hashimoto said the government "is not able to find any specific documented evidence that proves the involvement of the government in abducting and trafficking women" to force them to provide sex to Japanese soldiers. He said the Kono Statement, in which Japan officially acknowledges the fact that the Japanese military forced women from Korean Peninsula and China to be sexual slaves for its aggression army, is "very, very in vague and not clear," adding the ambiguity is the root of the rocky Japan-South Korean relations on the issue. We found recorded evidence that exist is that some women were transported by private businessmen, but in a military ship... Actually, the majority of the brothel facilities were ran by private businessmen," said Hashimoto. It is also "an undeniable fact that the Japanese military involved in the facilities" as they provided health checks over concerns of spread of sexually transmitted disease, said the Osaka Mayor. According to historians, an estimated 200,000 women were forced to serve as sex slaves for Japanese forces during World War II, and most of them came from countries invaded by Japan at the time. Hashimoto's restoration party on May 21 lost support from Your Party, a small opposition party, following the highly controversial and insensitive comments. His words were deemed wholly inappropriate by Your Party, with which Hashimoto's party was in talks on boosting their clout by joining forces in the upper house election pegged for July. "Given differences in values, we have to totally review the relationship," Your Party leader Yoshimi Watanabe told a meeting of party executives. Meanwhile, according to a recent survey taken by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, 75 percent of respondents said there is "a great deal of" or "some" problem with Hashimoto's remarks, while 20 percent said there is "little" or "no" problem. A meager 7 percent said they would back the Japan Restoration Party in the proportional representation portion of the upper house election if it were held now, down from 10 percent in the popular daily's previous survey in April, marking a sharp drop from 16 percent in January.