June 25, 2012
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2012 June 20 - 26 TOP3 [HISTORY]
Osaka mayor wants to build modern history center glorifying Japan’s war of aggression |
As collaborators in designing the facility where children are to learn history, he has recommended members of the publisher, Ikuhosha, affiliated to the Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform, the rightist community hostile to the Japanese Constitution.
These people published a history textbook which calls the Asia-Pacific War “the Greater East Asia War”, claiming that it liberated Asian peoples and that Japan’s colonial rule over Korea and Taiwan contributed to the modernization of the region. They also advocate revisions in the present Constitution as it was imposed by the United States.
The Osaka mayor criticized the current way of thinking about the modern history of Japan as “being disgraceful.”
He points to the Tokyo Tribunal of War Criminals as the main point of objection in modern history, and says, “Ignoring this very cause of many problems arising (in history education), we cannot claim to be true Japanese.”
Hashimoto introduced this idea of opening a new history education center during an unofficial meeting held between his own local party “Osaka Ishin-no Kai” and Komei Party members of the Osaka City Assembly. These Komei assemblypersons helped Hashimoto to enact two ordinance laws which authorize him to exert control over public education policy and city government workers.
Komaki Kaoru of the History Educationalist Conference of Japan expressed his concern, “Such a center may display items and information embracing only their distorted historical view and not touch on Japan’s wartime wrongdoings.”
The Tokyo Trial or the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, what Hashimoto refers to as the main point of objection, judged such military leaders as Tojo Hideki as war criminals based on the Potsdam Declaration.
Attacking Japan’s deep postwar remorse over its past war of aggression as masochistic, the abovementioned people deny the very legitimacy of the tribunal.
However, Komaki argues, “Studies have shown that Japan waged the war in order to further expansionist interests by conquering the Asia-Pacific region.”
Komaki said, “Postwar historical education employs such study results and respect for constitutional principles, looking to create a peaceful and prosperous Japan which respects human rights.”
“It will be unacceptable to allow an administrative organ to force children to learn an interpretation of history” which runs counter to the postwar ideal, Komaki added.
He went on to say that Hashimoto aims to “revise Article 9 of the Constitution to enable Japan to go to war and create young people who voluntarily go to battle. Mayor Hashimoto has often met with former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and Tokyo Governor Ishihara Shintaro. They are key rightist figures in anti-Constitution groups.”
Komaki stated that Hashimoto’s idea of proper education is extremely dangerous.
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