NAGOYA (Kyodo) -- A major art festival in central Japan shut down Saturday one of its exhibits featuring a statue symbolizing "comfort women," who were forced to work in wartime Japanese military brothels, following a flurry of protests, the organizer said.
The decision came just three days after the opening of the 75-day festival at a time when tensions between Japan and South Korea have been escalating over wartime history and trade policy. The shutdown has also sparked controversy over freedom of expression.
