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Roundup: Japanese Textbook Arouses Indignation
The controversial textbook for Japanese junior high school in 2002, currently being examined by the Japanese Education Ministry, has drew indignation and protests of neighboring Asian countries as well as peace-loving groups and scholars in Japan for its distortion of history and beautification of the past Japanese aggressions.
The textbook, written by some Japanese nationalist historians, beautifies Japan's past aggression against its Asian neighbors while ignoring the great sufferings inflicted upon Asian people by the Japanese aggressors.
Describing Japan's aggressions during World War II as "Greater East Asia War of the Co-prosperity Sphere," the textbook portrays Japan's former imperialism and the aggressive war as "a force to help free Asia countries from colonial rule." It shamelessly justifies Japan's invasion of Southeastern Asia as "victories over the Western powers there allowed countries in the region to achieve postwar independence."
In a bid to distort history and shirk responsibilities, the textbook purposely covers the inhumane acts against Asian people by Japanese troops. It bluntly deletes the content about the notorious Unit 731 of Japan's Kwantung Army and even tries to obliterate Nanjing Massacre, in which over 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers were slaughtered by the Japanese aggressors in 1937.
The textbook, compiled by members of the Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform, immediately aroused indignation and drew condemnation from Asian countries which suffered a lot from Japanese aggressions during the World War II. Some members of Japan's Diet (parliament), peace-loving groups and scholars in Japan also protested the textbook and called on the Japanese government to handle the issue with a responsible attitude.
The Chinese government has urged Japan to properly handle the textbook issue, noting that Japanese government has unshakable responsibility in revising the textbook and cannot shirk the responsibility under the pretext of freedom of speech. The South Korean government also showed their solemn stance on the textbook issue, and the South Korean National Assembly passed a resolution last month against the history-distorting textbook.
Japanese Social Democratic Party leader Takako Doi on Friday called on the Japanese government to face the truth of the past history at a gathering.
A group of Japanese intellectuals, including Nobel literature prize winner Kenzaburo Oe and Mutsuko Miki, widow of former Japanese Prime Minister Takeo Miki, issued a statement on March 16, saying that the history textbook draft submitted for screening failed to chronicle Japan's wartime sexslavery. There is no " sincere regret and apology" for Japan's colonial rule and aggression, the statement noted.
Some scholars from Japan, South Korea and China, both from the mainland and Taiwan, last week issued a statement in Osaka, western Japan, criticizing the draft for "distorting invasions and savagery by Japanese militarism."
Earlier this month, three Japanese groups of wartime veterans also presented a statement to the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, demanding the government not approve the textbook.
These veterans said they have deep guilty conscience in their mind for what they did in the past aggression, and could never let the disaster be repeated. The distortion of the past history of aggression will deeply hurt the feelings of the people in Asian countries invaded by Japanese troops, these veterans said, adding it will also mislead the Japanese younger generations.
Under pressure both at home and aboard, the Japanese government have demanded changes to the textbook. Yet, analysts say that the textbook is still far from the truth even after the changes.
The issue of a Japanese history textbook, in fact, is a political and principled issue of great importance. The textbook issue will demonstrate whether Japan can face its past aggressive history with an earnest and correct attitude.
The Japanese government should handle its past history of aggression and take practical steps to win the trust of its neighboring countries. Only in this way can Japan gain understanding from its neighbors and further develop its relations with them.
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