[Editorial] Japan Ready to Distort History Education Again? : English Editorials : Internet Hankyoreh

It looks like we're about to see a replay of the war over history textbook selection that heat up the Japanese islands three years ago. The Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform, which at the time had to face an agonizing defeat when only 0.039 percent of schools adopted the textbook it authored, is puling all the stops for the textbook selection process in August of next year. The goal is to have them chosen as school textbooks enough so that they account for 10 percent of all that get selected, and to achieve that they're already holding a special fundraising campaign and symposiums to unite rightists around their cause. On top of that, the Japanese government and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) are preparing to help the effort. Japanese education minister Nakayama Nariaki, the man who recently said it is a "very good thing" that there is less mention of "comfort women" and Japan's forced mobilization of various individuals, is the same man who formed a group called the "Society for Japan's Future and History Education" within the LDP three years ago to lead the campaign for the use of the middle school textbooks for the 2002 school year. LDP acting secretary-general Shinzo Abe recently wrote a formal letter of encouragement in the Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform's newsletter promising full support.

The "New History Textbook" contains distortions of history and rationalizes Japan's war of aggression, but it is not an isolated phenomenon. It is but one part of a massive project to steer Japan to the right. That is why we need to pay special attention and be prepared to deal with the situation. Japan has adopted something called the "US-Japan Defense Guidelines," it is restoring the place of the Hinomaru and the Kimigayo - the flag and national anthem used during the imperialist era - and it is sending its Self Defense Forces (SDF) overseas. Having accomplished these things one after another, there are now moves to change history education for future generations and amend the "peace constitution."

Opposition by the Korean government and civic groups in 2001 played a large role in making sure the textbooks were only 0.039 percent off all used in Japanese middle school classrooms. Around 90 civic groups joined together in something called the "Campaign to Stop the Degradation of Japanese History Textbooks" and aligned themselves with conscientious groups of experts in Japan and were able to stop the attempt to distort history. Reports are that the Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform is doing all it can to be prepared this time, so that it does not repeat the same failure.

Distorting history education distorts the future. Korea's government and civic groups must hurry to be prepared with another response, for the sake of an honest future.

The Hankyoreh, 6 December 2004.

[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]