Yasukuni view of history deeply imprinted on Abe government lineup

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Yasukuni view of history deeply imprinted on Abe government lineup

Calling for a "breakaway from the postwar structure," Prime Minister Abe Shinzo formed the new government by appointing hawks who advocate the adverse revision of the Constitution as cabinet ministers and to key posts in the prime minister's office as well as the three Liberal Democratic Party leadership posts.

Although Abe stated in the House of Representatives Plenary Session on October 3, "Politicians should be humble when talking about the pros and cons of certain views on history or wars," these key players in the Abe government are supporters of the "certain historical interpretation" that Yasukuni Shrine maintains.

Deeply involved with Yasukuni-film producer

Yasukuni Shrine's war memorial museum, Yushukan, shows a film "We shall never forget" that claims, "This film revives the historical truth that textbooks do not tell us." The film presents the Yasukuni view of history justifying Japan's wars as "just wars" fought for "its survival and self-defense" and the "liberation of Asia" even more openly than other Yushukan exhibits.

This film was produced by the Japan Conference (co-produced with the Association for Honoring Fallen Heroes), a right-wing organization openly propagating Yasukuni's historical stance. Its interpretation is so drastic that the Japan Conference criticizes even the government bill to revise the Fundamental Law of Education as being insufficient.

The Japan Conference Dietmembers' council is a parliamentarians' group consisting of Liberal Democratic, Democratic, and People's New party members. Pledging to "pave the right path for Japan in cooperation with the popular movement of the Japan Conference," the council puts up such action policies as "protecting our nation's beautiful traditions," "creating a constitution suitable for the new era," and "establishing Japan's defense set-up."

As of June last year, Foreign Minister Aso Taro was the special advisor (former chair), LDP Policy Research Council Chair Nakagawa Shoichi was the deputy chair, and Prime Minister Abe Shinzo was the deputy secretary general of the Japan Conference Dietmembers' council. In the general election last year, the Japan Conference backed the Dietmembers' council members including Abe, Aso, seven other ministers of the Abe Cabinet, a deputy chief cabinet secretary and two advisors to the prime minister.

On November 1 last year, the council in its general meeting adopted a resolution to support prime ministerial visits to Yasukuni Shrine.

Prime Minister Abe's slogan "a beautiful country, Japan" is almost identical to what the Japan Conference is calling for. In the introduction put up on its website, the organization declares that it "makes proposals and takes actions in order to preserve and develop a beautiful Japan with the slogan, 'creating a nation that we can take pride in'."

Gathering of Abe's comrades in attacking history textbooks

Many lawmakers who used to be members of the LDP "Association of Young Dietmembers to Think about the Future of Japan History Education" are in the Abe government's lineup.

Formed in February 1997, this association was joined by about 100 lawmakers who were concerned about the junior high school history textbooks referring to "comfort women."

Together with the Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform established in the previous month, the association took an active part in attacking history textbooks.

The association was headed by LDP Policy Research Council Chair Nakagawa Shoichi, while Abe Shinzo served as secretary general, and Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Shimomura Hakubun as deputy secretary general.

They summoned to their meetings scholars, education ministry officials, and textbook publishing company executives, and questioned their views on the textbooks. Abe stressed that the historical facts concerning "comfort women" are very uncertain.

They demanded that the government retract the 1993 statement released by Chief Cabinet Secretary Kono Yohei that admitted involvement of the Japanese military authority in the "comfort women" affair and expressed apologies and remorse. Nakagawa said that it was inappropriate for the chief cabinet secretary, representing the nation, to apologize while the historical facts are uncertain.

In December 1999, they took part in a campaign to urge local boards of education to adopt the history textbook edited by the Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform. Abe denounced the textbook adoption system by saying that one-sided board members are choosing one-sided textbooks.

In March 2001, when China and South Korea requested Japan not to pass the Society's textbook through the screening process, this association pressed Prime Minister Mori Yoshiro to reject "interventions from in and out of the country." They denounced an education ministry official for his comment that the criticism from China and South Korea do not constitute interventions in Japan's internal affairs.

In June 2001, the "Association to Think about History Textbook Issues" headed by Nakagawa was established by lawmakers of the LDP, the Democratic, the Liberal, and the Conservative parties, along with the Independent Club.

Even ruling party's education bill is inadequate

Another hawkish lawmakers' group that has made inroads into the Abe government is the Committee for Promotion of Revision of the Fundamental Law of Education, which was established in February 2004 at the general meeting of the Japan Conference Dietmembers' council.

Shimomura assumed the post of acting chair of the council, along with Minister in charge of Okinawa and Northern Territories Takaichi Sanae as vice chair, and Foreign Minister Aso Taro as an adviser.

Together with the Japan Conference, this committee is criticizing the government-ruling party bill to revise the Fundamental Law of Education and is calling for revision of the bill. Last April, the committee published its draft bill to revise the education law.

In a magazine article published last June, Shimomura demanded that a ruling-party bill to revise the education law must adhere to the following three "principles": fostering patriotism, cultivating religious sentiment, and deleting from the law the stipulation, "Education shall not be subject to improper control."

Shimomura in his lecture last August said that the prime minister's office will check history textbooks holding a "masochistic view of history" and have them revised.

The establishment of a council for educational reform, the centerpiece of Abe cabinet policy, has been promoted by Special Advisor to Prime Minister Yamatani Eriko who has been a member of the board of directors of the committee.

Yagi Hidetsugu, who once chaired the Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform but has withdrawn from it as a result of an internal dispute, in September stated that they are determined to give full support to Abe's education policy as it is basically in agreement with them.
- Akahata, October 6, 2006