 History textbook praising Japanese war of aggression passes screening The Education and Science Ministry on April 5 approved a history textbook that praises the Japanese war of aggression for use in junior high schools from April 2006, prompting the Chinese and South Korean governments to express protest about the approval. Citizens organizations in Japan are calling on schools to reject the textbook. The controversial history textbook was edited by the Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform. By calling the Japanese war of aggression "the Greater East Asia War," it justifies the war as a war for survival and self-defense that led to the liberation of Asian countries. Descriptions of "military comfort women" have disappeared from all history textbooks due to pressure from the Liberal Democratic Party and the society. Sixteen citizens' organizations held a joint news conference on the same day and criticized the government for approving the textbook that denies the Japanese Constitution and the government's internationally professed self-criticism of the past war of aggression. Under the textbook screening system, textbooks edited by publishers in the private sector are examined by the education ministry. If revisions are necessary, publishers will be informed of the council opinions for revisions. Amended textbooks are re-examined by the council for a final decision of acceptance or rejection. JCP comments Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi on April 5 published the following statement on the history textbook issue: The history textbook edited by the Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform has been approved by the education ministry for the second time, the first being four years ago. Depicting the Pacific War as a war for survival and self-defense, it praises the war of aggression. Japan's remorse for the war of aggression and colonization and settling its accounts of the mistakes are what Japan promised the world after the war, and without this Japan cannot get along peacefully with other Asian countries. It stands to reason that a school textbook that defies these principles come under fire in Japan and internationally. The government and the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry are seriously responsible for approving this textbook. It is essential for Japanese children, who are growing up to exercise sovereign power in the 21st century, to learn about the truth of history concerning Japan's war of aggression and colonization and the fact that the Constitution for peace and democracy was established on remorse for the mistakes. The JCP will do its utmost to overcome the trend of praising the war of aggression, including the historical textbook issue, in cooperation with a broad range of the people. (end) |