 In May 2013, while seemingly conceding that the comfort women served soldiers "against their will", Hashimoto further claimed that they were "necessary" so that Japanese soldiers could get some "rest" during World War II.On 13 May 2013, Hashimoto told a senior US forces official in Okinawa "We can’t control the sexual energy of these brave marines", and suggested that United States soldiers should make more use of the local adult entertainment industry on the assumption that this would reduce the incidence of sexual crimes against local women.Then Hashimoto told the necessity of the existence of former Japanese comfort women and those of other countries at a press conference.