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Japanese History Textbook Raises Concerns
Asia Today, 10 July 2001
The approval of a controversial Japanese history textbook in April has
prompted a wave of criticism from neighboring countries concerned
about its accuracy and tone. After a two-month-long review of South
Korea's demands for revisions, Japan informed Seoul that it would
revise only two of the 35 disputed passages. This has sparked a wave
of protests on the streets of the South Korean capital outside the
Japanese embassy. According to the BBC, a Chinese foreign ministry
statement described Japan's decision as unacceptable
and
expressed regrets and strong outrage.
For the past two decades, South Korea and China have been particularly vocal about the need for a balanced portrayal of Japan's role in the Asia-Pacific region World War II. In April 2001, South Korea temporarily recalled its ambassador to Japan, Choi Sang-yong, until measures could be established to deal with the textbook issues. Now that Japan has officially rejected most of S.Korea's demands, President Kim Dae-Jung has made statements of his shock and disapproval. He now faces the challenge of balancing diplomatic relations with Japan while still remaining firm with counter measures concerning the textbook.
Japan's Education Ministry endorsed a new textbook, written by the Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform, after having agreed to revise 137 accounts of sensitive issues. Some of the more controversial sections include Japan's colonial rule of Korea and the occupation of Nanjing in China. In 1982 the Japanese Education Ministry screening panel added a neighboring countries clause which states that consideration should be given to other Asian countries when writing historical descriptions.
Despite these efforts at revision, reactions in South Korea and China
have been strong. South Koreans are particularly angered that there is
no reference in this textbook to Korean Comfort Women
who were
forced by Japanese soldiers to be sex slaves during World War II. This
also comes at a time when a recent Japanese court ruling refused to
compensate three Korean comfort women.
Opinion pieces have been appearing mainly in South Korean newspapers discussing the concerns over the contents of the new textbook. Chinese Foreign Minister Zhu Bangzao also expressed dissatisfaction, claiming the textbook is reactionary in nature and continues to gloss over Japan's past aggressions in Asia.
Though critics of the textbook are often using descriptions such as
extreme nationalism,
right-wing,
and reactionary,
Japanese officials stress the fact that their government did not
produce these textbooks and that the screening process was carried out
fairly. In a recent Reuters article, Akinori Takamori, one of the 10
authors of the textbook, states, Past textbooks fawned to the
historical views of China and South Korea excessively,
and that it
is important to have textbooks with a variety of views. Under the
Japanese system, the Education Ministry approves a range of textbooks
so schools and prefectures can select which ones they want to use.
Though Japan did not foresee the issue developing into a major diplomatic row, South Korean officials have been considering actions over the past months such as boycotting the import of Japanese cultural items and raising the issue at the ongoing U.N. Human Rights Committee session. As these countries continue to battle with their past, the issue of history remains unresolved and a continual sore point in relations.
News Coverage
S Korea strikes back in history row (July 12, 2001)
The
BBC reports on the rising stakes in a row over new
Japanese history textbooks. Along with protests in South Korea, Seoul
has denied two Japanese navy ships permission to dock at its port of
Inchon in September and has closed markets to Japanese cultural
products.
South Korea freezes
ties with Japan (July 12, 2001)
AP reports that
South Korea ended military exchanges and canceled a planned visit to
Tokyo by a top defense official because of Japan's refusal to
revise controversial history textbooks.
Anger deepens in history book row (July 10, 2001)
The
BBC reports on the latest reaction in Seoul to
Japan's decision to only revise two of the 35 disputed passages.
President warns of tough action over Japan's 'intolerable' response (July 10, 2001) The Korea Herald reports of President Kim Dae Jung's response to Japan's decision and how he plans to deal with it in the future.
Japan makes its textbook 'no' official (July 10, 2001)
Asahi reports on the decision to reject most of the
requests by S.Korea and China and gives a good overview of the actual
changes that will be made to the textbooks.
History Texts Divide
Japan and South Korea Again (July 10, 2001)
The
International Herald Tribune reports on the renewed
tensions between Japan and S.Korea over the history textbooks and
provides some history about the recurring issue between the two
countries.
Seoul launches task force on textbook (April 11, 2001)
This
Korea Herald article reports on the launching of a
special task force in S.Korea under the Education Ministry to address
the Japanese textbook issue. The task force will discuss ways to
attract international attention to Japan's decision and will
consider various proposals made by government agencies, politicians
and civic groups.
Seoul
recalling ambassador in Japan over history textbook (April 9,
2001)
This Korea Herald article reports on South
Korea's move to recall its ambassador to Japan in response to
Tokyo's approval of new school history textbooks.
Korea
anger as Japan 'ignores atrocities' (April 4, 2001)
This BBC article reports on Japan's firm stance on
its decision and the resulting outrage in South Korea.
Foreign
Ministry to gloss over textbook uproar (April 4, 2001)
This
Japan Times article discusses how the Foreign Ministry is
trying to keep the issue low profile and continue diplomatic efforts
to strengthen ties with S.Korea and China.
Seoul files protest
over Japanese textbook (April 4, 2001)
This South
China Morning Post article provides a good overview of the
specific problems countries are having with the use of language in the
textbook.
Textbooks
gain approval (April 4, 2001)
Asahi's
article looks at how generally the Tsukuru Kai history book differs
from others.
Japan
will not bow to neighbors on textbook (April 4, 2001)
CNN gives a brief overview of the situation with
sections on Angry Asian neighbors,
Not Tokyo's
Views,
and Not Holocaust Scale.
Japanese
Mood Is Mixed About New History Text (April 4, 2001)
This
JoongAng Ilbo article traces various Japanese
newspapers' reactions to the controversial textbook.
Education
ministry OK's draft textbooks (April 4, 2001)
Daily Yomiuri includes information about all the
textbooks approved by the Education, Science and Technology Ministry,
highlighting aspects about the main controversy over the history
textbook.
S.
Korea lodges official protest over Japanese history textbooks
(April 3, 2001)
The Korea Herald reports on a
meeting between S.Korean Foreign Minister Han Seung-soo with
Amb. Terusuke Terada where Han called on the Japanese government to
take measures to redress the problem.
China
Slams Japan Over History Textbook (April 3, 2001)
This
People's Daily article includes the Chinese
government reaction to the textbook with statements from Foreign
Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao and the Chinese Ministry of Education.
Asian
NGOs take concerted action against Japan's textbook distortion
(April 3, 2001)
This Korea Herald article looks at
the actions and concerns of NGOs in Korea and Japan who have staged
protest rallies against Japan's alleged textbook distortion.
KoreaScope
Articles
Access recent articles from Koreascope on the
textbook issue. This includes the full text of a statement from South
Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Brief
Q&A at Press Conference with Japan's Deputy Press Secretary
Chikahito Harada
Japan and History
Japan
academic defends controversial textbook (April 6, 2000)
This
Reuters article presents Akinori Takamori's
perspective, one of the 10 authors of the textbook, and his defense of
the new textbook.
Japan's
Resurgent Far Right Tinkers With History (March 25, 2001)
This New York Times article looks at the popularity of
nationalistic manga in Japan and the growing sentiment that Japan
should not be so masochistic about [its] history.
Japanese
woman teaches Korea's colonial past (February 12, 2001)
This Korea Herald article profiles an unlikely tour
guide at S.Korea's Seodaemun Prison History Hall, a museum that
documents how Japan jailed and tortured Korean independence
fighters. Yamada Ikuyo, a Japanese woman, became a tour guide to help
educate the public about hidden historical facts between the two
nations.
The
Distortion and the Revision of History in Postwar Japanese Textbooks,
1945-1998
This paper by Tomochika Okamoto, a Ph.D. candidate
at Waseda University, Tokyo, is a content analysis of history
textbooks used in Japanese high schools in the postwar era. His study
has two main objectives. One is to review the changes in content of
high school history textbooks in postwar Japan. The other is to
analyze the transformation of history education in terms of the rise
and fall of postwar Japanese nationalism.
The
Society for History Textbook Reform
A short background of
the group that wrote the history textbook currently under criticism.
The Restoration of National History
This website presents
information about the Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform,
their goals, and why they were established.
Some
textbook publishers see history differently
This
Asahi article gives a good background to the internal
Japanese debate about how to present their history.
Commentary
Awkward Japan
This editorial in the Washington
Post observes that Japan is dealing with two cases of
disharmony. While Japan is confronting a major controversy over
history textbooks, the country is also faced with a alleged rape case
in Okinawa involving a U.S. serviceman. The author argues, the
common thread in these two tales is that, in seeking to avoid
disharmony at home, Japan may alienate other nations, harming its
aspirations to international leadership.
Crisis in Korea-Japan relations
This editorial in The
Korea Herald argues that the textbook issue is causing a
significant strain in Japan-Korea relations and strongly urges the
S.Korea government to come up with effective measures to resolve the
long-standing war.
Japan's sincerity put to test
This editorial in the
Japan Times states that Japan's censorship system
needs reform because it clearly has limitations. It argues that the
Korean and Chinese requests for revisions should give a further
impetus to the public debate on Japan's past and should not be
taken as an interference in domestic affairs.
Deteriorating Korea-Japan Ties
This editorial in The
Korea Times questions if S.Korea's counter measures will
hurt more than help Korea, but makes strong calls for a campaign by
both the government and the Korean public to address the issue.
Govt gave
correct answer on texts
This editorial in the Daily
Yomiuri praises Japan's response to China and S.Korea's
demands calling it appropriate and honest.
The author argues
that the two countries' demands were based on dissatisfaction over
interpretations of historical facts, and of facts that are not
mentioned in the teaching guidelines. In this sense, revisions were
naturally impossible under the current authorization system.
A
History of Lies
This editorial from Choson Ilbo
argues that the final decision to approve the textbook is evidence of
how the whole process was problematic from the start because
Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and
Technology does not allow examiners room to question the
qualifications of textbooks based on the philosophy of history.
Seoul
Searching: Whitewashing History
Donald MacIntyre writes in
Time Asia about how Koreans who are outraged at Japan
whitewashing its history need to examine their own education
system. Pointing to the Hitler
bar down in the southeast port
of Pusan, he reports on a number of Nazi Theme bars in Korea that have
swastikas for sale and Nazi decorations. MacIntyre argues that Koreans
should also examine the insensitivity of certain historical issues in
their own society.
Japan's
extreme nationalism
This Korea Herald editorial
criticizes Japan's view of history claiming that the
intermittent controversy over Japan's history textbooks could be
mistaken as a leftover issue from the past or an expression of
inferiority from the Koreans who were once Japan's colonial
subjects. But this is a misguided notion...the history textbook issue
is a serious issue that relates to the future of Asia, and even world
peace at that.
Nationalistic
mindset of Koreans
In response to a Korea
Herald article, Negative views of Korea found in foreign
textbooks,
this editorial argues that Koreans are being irrational
in their fanciful use of English.
The author uses the example
of the debate over the name Sea of Japan
showing how language
has gotten out of hand because of an evasive and nationalistic spirit
in Korean students.
Japanese
Distortion of History
This Korea Times
editorial argues that the new textbook shows a viewpoint of
history influenced by rising national sentiment longing for past
glory, fueled by the decade-long economic depression and
disenchantment with the political and social establishments.
The
author predicts that the movement against the textbook will be
spearheaded by civic groups who will push for schools not to adopt the
controversial history books.
Voices
of intellectuals
This Korea Herald editorial
supports the dialogue between Japanese and Korean Universities calling
on further contacts between intellectuals of the two countries to
together seek solutions.
Internet Links
Stanford Guide to Japanese Information Resources