A retired Japanese ambassador called on the Shinzo Abe administration to directly address the wartime sexual enslavement of Korean and other Asian women.

"If Japan tries to dwarf the 'comfort women' issue, it will rather draw criticism from the international community," Masatoshi Muto, once Tokyo's ambassador to Seoul, said in his new book. He returned to Japan in 2012 after serving three years in South Korea.

He is known for his expertise in Seoul-Tokyo relations, having long worked in the field as a career diplomat.

The conservative Abe has maintained dubious views on Japan's atrocities during World War II. He has not responded to continued calls to offer a sincere apology in his own words.

Muto said the Japanese government should understand the unspeakable agony of Korean, Chinese and other Asian women who were forced to serve as sex slaves for Japanese troops.

"It should face the issue again in a serious manner," he said. "Based on that, the government should push for sincere measures for former comfort women and publicize those to the world." (Yonhap)