Japanese history textbook revised

[Anssi Hakkinen]

(Decided to post this a) in order to up post count and b) since it's generally related to the Japanese history writing issue that's been bounced back and forth through the Dojo's existence. Feel free to ignore...)

"Parts of a planned history textbook that have angered Asian nations by justifying Japan's brutal colonial rule in the region will be revised, the publisher said. Fuyo Publishing Inc. said it has agreed to revise all 137 parts mentioned by the Education Ministry for the textbook's final screening by the end of this month.

"The contents of the drafts of the book had been leaked, leading to criticism from South Korea and other Asian nations. South Korean President Kim Dae-jung has strongly urged Japan to block its approval. The controversy comes as Japan has tried recently to improve relations with its neighbours by acknowledging its aggression, but many Asians feel its apologies have been grudging and still harbour bitter feelings.

"Japan ruled the Korean Peninsula as a colony from 1910 to 1945 and occupied much of China between 1931 and 1945. Some in Japan have justified the annexation of Korea and aggression in China and Southeast Asia as occurring in the context of European and US colonisation.

"The mass-circulation Yomiuri newspaper quoted a draft of the book as saying that 'Japan's annexation of the Korean Peninsula in 1910 was supported by the US and European powers as a measure to stabilise East Asia...the annexation was undertaken legally at the time following the fundamental rules of international relations.'

"Source:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/worl...k-Trouble.html - New York Times / Associated Press"

(Leeched off The EJC Media News Digest)

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"I listened for response and heard only praise."
- Friedrich Nietzsche: Beyond Good and Evil

[FwSeal]

Well, thats unfortunate.
'Japan's annexation of the Korean Peninsula in 1910 was supported by the US and European powers as a measure to stabilise East Asia...the annexation was undertaken legally at the time following the fundamental rules of international relations.'
I suppose that noone could accuse the Japanese of lacking talent in the ancient art of semantics. Seems as if they have moved from 'well, YOU did it too' to, 'well, YOU said it was OK...'

[agios_katastrof]

So, yet another Japanese generation will be nurtured into racism.

[Choco]

The sad thing is that probably that it true

Remember than in 1910 japan was somehow the darling of England and USA. That was explained because geopolitics.

Back then, Japan was an useful ally to check the german presence in the pacific and the russian expansion in China.

It is not coincidence that in that time the British navy had literally a patronage on the Japanese navy.

It was the 30's when the wind start changing and USA and England realized that they had supported and nurtured a Frankenstein

NOPE. I am not justifying the brutal, racist and merciless Japanese expansion. I am just saying that Japan was in that time pretty much the Saddam Hussein's Irak in Kimono. USA and England supported Japan's imperialism creating a monster that later would attack them

[Minagawa Daimon]

...ouch!

[Emperor Han]

It is quiting shocking to me that Japan allowed their schools to ignore history of their imperialism in the 20th century to this date. Hopely this is the beginning of genuine attempt to confront their not-so-glamourous past.

[Contubernalis]

I think there's never been a textbook that did not have some sort of editing bias. American examples abound. I think perhaps history is just too vast (especially in a survey type course) to mention everything. The problem here is it's so blatant, when the memory is still fresh in people's minds.
Has anyone read German textbooks, and if so, how is their coverage? I've heard that the Soviets' books are pretty laughable as well.

[Anssi Hakkinen]

The Germans are one of the few nations who cannot be blamed for trying to present their history in an overtly glamorous light. On the contrary. I think it's in their constitution - any effort to even understand, let alone agree with their actions in the 30's and 40's would be a major no-no, especially in textbooks.

Soviet books, of course, are Soviet, but the present-day Russian books at least make an effort to present their former system for what it really was. On the other hand, some are outright propagandistic when it comes to the *current* government... Nothing changes until everything changes, I suppose.

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"Yea, the proud ones are but for a moment, like an evening dream in springtime. The mighty are destroyed at the last, they are but as the dust before the wind."
- The Heike Monogatari

After WWII after all Japan made a miracle.

The war left a destroyed country; 40 yrs later Japan would be one of the richest countries ever.

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Honour to Clan No Fear.

Visit my resource centre at: http://terazawa.totalwar.org

[Choco]

This is the part I like the most:

"the annexation was undertaken legally at the time following the
fundamental rules of international relations.'"

ROFL what it means?: We will come to your land, will steal your money, will kill your family, we will make a slave of you".

Gosh. That is so freaking funny. Imagine Hideoshi or Nobunaga saying: "the annexation was undertaken legally at the time following the
fundamental rules of international relations.

[Contubernalis]

Did anyone see the article in today's NYTimes on "Japan's Resurgent Far Right"? Find it here: www.nytimes.com/2001/03/25/world/25JAPA.html

Mr. Kobayashi evidently believes that the Nanjing Incident is a fiction, and that the Comfort Women were volunteers just out for social advancement. And if the West says something, they're being racist.
I hate people like this, who think history is a pliable substance, to mold into their own hateful image.




[This message has been edited by Contubernalis (edited 03-25-2001).]

[Choco]

Agreed ... Contubernails. This guys is a pathetic loser.

But he is NOT the REAL problem. In any society you will find a minority of psychopaths with crap in the brain and trying to go against the reality.

They are like the exotic element and you will find them ANYWHERE. They are just a funny thing to watch.

But the REAL problem is when their stupid ideas become somehow mainstream and acceptable in social terms.

THAT is the REAL problem with Japan. The common Japanese guy in the street probably agrees a lot with what that clow says. And that is the scary thing.

In Germany there is still a bunch of neonazis denying the holocaust and praysing Hitler. But they are a minority. The Average german guy is intelligent and emotionally mature enough to reject that kind of crap. Somehow German peple have had the gutts and the maturity to face their dark past and learn from it.

The sad thing is thet in my opinion most of Japanese people as a whole society is still living in denial and refusing to mature. That is the REAL scary thing