Distorted Japanese textbook stirs fury

[Hez]

Distorted Japanese textbook stirs fury

Hu Xiao in Beijing and Song Wenwei in Nanjing

2005-04-06 06:28

China urged Japan yesterday to "correctly view" history, after Tokyo approved a new edition of a controversial junior high school history textbook that critics say "whitewashes" Japan's past history of aggression.

The Chinese Government expressed its strong indignation at the approval of the right-wing inspired textbook which "confounds black and white," said Vice-Foreign Minister Qiao Zonghuai.

Qiao urgently summoned Japanese Ambassador Anami Koreshige yesterday afternoon and lodged solemn representations against the textbook , saying the essence of the issue is whether Japan can accurately view its history of militarism and aggression.

"The textbook will be vehemently condemned by people from all Asian countries that have been victimized by Japan, including the Chinese," said Qiao, demanding the Japanese Government honour its commitments regarding history and calling for measures to offset any negative impacts it may have.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Chinese ambassador to Japan Wang Yi delivered a similar representation to the Japanese Government in Tokyo yesterday afternoon.

The Japanese Education Ministry yesterday approved the controversial book published by Fuso Publishing as one of eight that can be used to teach students aged 13 to 15 from April 2006.

The book is an updated version of the one which triggered formal protests from Beijing and Seoul upon its release in 2001. The book was adopted in 2002 by only about 0.03 per cent of schools following objections from local education boards and teachers.

The updated book refers to the 1937 Nanjing Massacre - in which some historians say at least 300,000 civilians and disarmed soldiers were killed by Japanese invading troops - as an "incident" in which "many" Chinese were slain.

Japan's move is likely to spark protests and hurt the country's already strained relations with Beijing and Seoul over historic and territorial disputes, analysts said.

"We all know that invading Japanese troops committed monstrous crimes against local people in the 1937 Nanjing Massacre. I simply can't imagine why Japanese rightists try to deny and distort this historic fact in their textbooks," said Wu Jiao, a graduate student from the School of Foreign Studies of Nanjing University.

"I don't think the rightists can deceive all the Japanese people," she said.

More than 10 million Chinese have signed an online petition to oppose Japan's move to seek a permanent seat on the UN Security Council and a number of public protests have broken out in cities.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said yesterday the Japanese side should "treat Chinese people's concerns over the issue correctly" and "handle historic issues closely related to Chinese people's feelings properly."

He called on the Chinese public to express their will "in a reasonable way," and pledged that China would protect the lives and property of Japanese citizens in the country.

Jiang Ruiping, a professor from Beijing-based China Foreign Affairs University, said he feared that strained political relations have affected the economic relationship of China and Japan.

Trade growth between the two countries last year was lower than that between China and its other trading partners, such as the European Union, the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, he said.

(China Daily 04/06/2005 page1)

[davemania]

The book is an updated version of the one which triggered formal protests from Beijing and Seoul upon its release in 2001. The book was adopted in 2002 by only about 0.03 per cent of schools following objections from local education boards and teachers.

Over reaction ?

[sundayx Veteran]

this has been a concern for the chinese government for some time now

[ZZOOzzoo]

Over reaction ?

585734346[/snapback]

The fact that these distorted history textbooks are accepted Japanes governmnet shows that the government basically has no intention of teaching the students the truth.

As a Korean, I think Korean people are a bit overreacting to this one, but this is not the first time the credibility of Japanese textbooks is questioned, and the way Japanese government gets away with those kind of things sickens me.

[Osiris]

Who gives a stuff, not like theres any global cultural/truth regulartory body, Japans a soverign nation and the government can do as it pleases, as long as the people of that nation allow it too.

I mean you really want something to get up in arms about, id be more concerned with the teachings going on in these Islamic extremeist schools in Indonesia and the likes, or id love to see some Arabic textbooks and their views on America, im sure there all truthfully and neutral.

Much like individuals every nation has its own perception of history, in Australia our treatment of the Aboriginals is highly glossed over, im sure the Americans treatment of Naitives isnt highly accurate, just as im sure the Frenchs interpretation of their contributions in the World Wars is slightly different to the American perception of their roles.

[gunnerhkjp]

Even in Japan, the wacky textbook in question is being pretty much ignored. The extreme right wing minority that published the book is having a field day with this one. The more they get on the news, the happier they are, since that is all they want. No Japanese school will adopt a textbook with such an unbalanced view of history.

-HOWEVER-

I understand that the Chinese and Koreans are still angry over what happened in WW2, but

(1) Chinese and Koreans have no say in what goes into Japanese textbooks, just like the Japanese have no say in what goes into textbooks in China and Korea.

(2) You can't expect Japanese textbook for school children to contain information about mass massacres and forced prostitution commited 2 generations ago.

This news has been blown WAY out of proportion.

News in China will be all about Japan if they react this way every time some radical excercises their freedom of expression (which by the way is in the Japanese constitution).

[dotRoot]

Yeah and we all no China isn't known for censoring anything.

[curme]

All countries rewrite history, unfortunately. Take the US for example. First Saddam had, WMDs, that didn't work. Ties to terrorists. Nope. Broke UN resolutions? So does the US and Israel. He was a bad guy! YES! That's the reason we invaded! And so it will be written for the next 1000 years in our schoolbooks. :(

[dotRoot]

All countries rewrite history, unfortunately. Take the US for example. First Saddam had, WMDs, that didn't work. Ties to terrorists. Nope. Broke UN resolutions? So does the US and Israel. He was a bad guy! YES! That's the reason we invaded! And so it will be written for the next 1000 years in our schoolbooks.?:((

585735601[/snapback]

except that it isn't written in the schoolbooks this day. My textbooks had everything about nagasaki and hiroshima, which has to be seen as much worse than OIF, no matter how you feel about OIF.

[kylejn]

Yeah and we all no China isn't known for censoring anything.

585735520[/snapback]

Exactly.

Seriously, every country has their own view on what happened, and are naturally going to gloss over events in which they are at fault. I took a World History class in Japan, and we just sorta skipped WWII. It went straight from before Pearl Harbor (the Sino-Japanese War, IIRC) to the American occupation of Japan. Kinda skipped everything that was in between. But the same sorts of things happen here in America. The United States has done all sorts of horrible things all over the world, but we don't read about them in textbooks. There may be a brief mention of something, but that's it.

[lav-chan]

Man, i thought that said something about furries for a sec. :WHEW:

[Fred Derf Veteran]

Over reaction ?

585734346[/snapback]

I think not. Protests were successful the first time in limiting the exposure of the government approved choice to only 0.03% of schools. Presumably, if they had not reacted in protest then it would have been taken up by a much larger percentage.

This second round of protests is to ensure that even the watered down version is selected by as few schools as possible.

[davemania]

I think not. Protests were successful the first time in limiting the exposure of the government approved choice to only 0.03% of schools.  Presumably, if they had not reacted in protest then it would have been taken up by a much larger percentage.

This second round of protests is to ensure that even the watered down version is selected by as few schools as possible.

585736161[/snapback]

The reason why I say it's over reaction is because the root of this problem has nothing to do with being historically accurate, I wonder how many Chinese students were taught how many people starved to death in the cultural revolution. The only reason China is making such a fuss about this is because its Japan. There is a growing rivalry between these 2 nations and each side is just finding reasons to poke each other.

[Fred Derf Veteran]

The reason why I say it's over reaction is because the root of this problem has nothing to do with being historically accurate, I wonder how many Chinese students were taught how many people starved to death in the cultural revolution. The only reason China is making such a fuss about this is because its Japan. There is a growing rivalry between these 2 nations and each side is just finding reasons to poke each other.

585737462[/snapback]

True, I doubt China is really in a position to criticise other nation's interpretation of history. I too would expect that their curriculum is somewhat biased on issues like the Cultural Revolution or Tiananmen Square.

[Boffa Jones Veteran]

Tiananmen Square.

585737611[/snapback]

*chinese youth* Tiananmen Square?

[Hez]

Japan Textbook Diplomatic Dispute Rises

Wed Apr 6, 4:26 PM ET

TOKYO - A diplomatic dispute over new Japanese textbooks escalated on Wednesday with South Korea summoning Tokyo's ambassador to complain about them and Japan calling Seoul's reaction "extreme."

South Korea's latest objections centered on an ethics textbook which stakes Tokyo's claim to a group of disputed islands in the Sea of Japan held by South Korea. The book was approved by Japan's Education Ministry on Tuesday.

China and South Korea have also denounced another newly approved junior high school book, titled "New History Textbook," for whitewashing Japan's World War II atrocities. They said the textbook attempted to justify Tokyo's aggression in Asia in the first half of the 20th century and called it "poison" for youthful minds.

The history book, written by nationalist scholars and put out by the same conservative publisher as the ethics book, was also approved by the Education Ministry for use beginning April 2006.

Japanese textbooks require government approval before being used in public schools, but school districts are free to choose among approved works.

Critics in Japan, China and South Korea accused the history book authors of glossing over such crimes as the forced wartime prostitution of thousands of Asian women by the Japanese military, justifying Tokyo's military expansion and using wartime propaganda terminology, such as calling World War II the "Great Asia War."

Japan colonized South Korea from 1910 until 1945, and many Koreans still harbor deep resentment against Tokyo.

The territorial dispute has become the latest thorn in relations between the two Asian neighbors. A Japanese state assembly last month enacted legislation designating a date commemorating Japanese claims to the islets. South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun has warned the disagreement could spark a "diplomatic war."

In Seoul, South Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-shik summoned Japanese Ambassador Toshiyuki Takano on Wednesday to complain about the textbooks.

Seiken Sugiura, a Japanese Cabinet spokesman, said the two nations should deal calmly with the dispute over the islands, which are known as Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea.

He said it wasn't the first time Japanese textbooks had staked Tokyo's claim to the rocky outcroppings.

"Other textbooks have said that Takeshima is Japan's indigenous territory," he told reporters. "The Takeshima issue has flared things up in South Korea, and they are acting in an extreme manner."

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Tokyo and Seoul should continue to strengthen bilateral ties.

"It is not good for both countries to shut this off or get confrontational, just because of the Takeshima problem," Koizumi said.

The disputed history book was originally approved in 2001, but its opponents had hoped the government would reject the newest edition.

China's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday called the book "a poison for Japan's younger generations" and summoned Japan's ambassador to Beijing to voice disapproval. A Chinese trade group representing chain stores called on its members to stop selling Japanese products in protest.

The Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform, a strong backer of the nationalist scholars, urged authorities to resist attempts from inside Japan or abroad to stifle the book.

 

The national scholar group said Tuesday the book was written to inspire children to develop national pride and to feel "natural love" toward their ancestors, rather than look on them as war criminals.

[dreamz Veteran]

The reason why I say it's over reaction is because the root of this problem has nothing to do with being historically accurate, I wonder how many Chinese students were taught how many people starved to death in the cultural revolution. The only reason China is making such a fuss about this is because its Japan. There is a growing rivalry between these 2 nations and each side is just finding reasons to poke each other.

585737462[/snapback]

good point. china seems more interested in the situation because it's japan.

but in general, history is always interpretative anyway.

*chinese youth* Tiananmen Square?

585737849[/snapback]

are you asking about the revolution incident?