Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform (新しい歴史教科書をつくる会, Atarashii Rekishi Kyōkasho o Tsukuru Kai^?) is a group founded in 1997 to promote a revised view of Japanese history. The group was responsible for authoring a history textbook published from Fusōsha (扶桑社), which was heavily criticised by China and South Korea for not including full accounts of or downplaying wartime activities of Imperial Japan during World War II, such as reference to the Nanjing Massacre (南京大虐殺) as "Nanjing Incident" (南京事件) and forgoing use of the term "comfort women" (慰安婦). The textbook also highlighted Japan's claim to Dokdo (Takeshima), which is currently administered by Republic of Korea, and Senkaku Islands, which are administered by Japan and claimed by both People's Republic of China and Republic of China (Taiwan).

Despite heavy promotion, the book is highly unpopular in Japan, and was taken up by only a handful of schools, most of which are privately run and located in a comparatively small geographic area of Tokyo. It does not represent the wider Japanese opinion. ^[1]

The Japan Policy Institute (日本政策研究センター, not to be confused with the JPRI based in California) has published a pamphlet entitled "Questionable points of Chinese and Korean textbooks" (ここがおかしい中国・韓国歴史教科書). The institute accuses neighboring Asian nations' textbooks of containing anti-Japanese propaganda, and encouraged people to compare the textbooks.

One of the authors of the text, Shiro Takahashi, a Meisei University professor and former deputy chairman of the Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform, was hired by the Saitama Prefecture Board of Education in December 2004 while still serving as a member of the Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform. (Japan Times, December 7, 2004)^{[citation needed]}

1 Translated excerpts from the textbook
- 1.1 New History Textbook 2005 version
2 Footnotes
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Translated excerpts from the textbook

[edit] New History Textbook 2005 version

Translated by Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform. [1]

Nanjing Massacre:
"In August 1937, two Japanese soldiers, one an officer, were shot to death in Shanghai (the hub of foreign interests). After this incident, the hostilities between Japan and China escalated. Japanese military officials thought Chiang Kai-shek would surrender if they captured Nanking, the Nationalist capital; they occupied that city in December. *But Chiang Kai-shek had moved his capital to the remote city of Chongqing. The conflict continued. Note *At this time, many Chinese soldiers and civilians were killed or wounded by Japanese troops (the Nanking Incident). Documentary evidence has raised doubts about the actual number of victims claimed by the incident. The debate continues even today" (p. 49).
Marco Polo Bridge Incident:
“On July 7, 1937, shots were fired at Japanese soldiers while they were engaged in maneuvers near Marco Polo Bridge (located outside Beijing). By the next day, this incident (the Marco Polo Bridge Incident) had escalated into hostilities with Chinese troops. The incident was of relatively small magnitude, and efforts were made to resolve it locally. But Japan decided to send a large number of troops to China when the Nationalist government issued an emergency mobilization order. These events marked the beginning of a war that lasted for eight long years" (p. 49).
Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere:
"The war inflicted a huge amount of devastation and suffering on the peoples of Asia, where it was fought. The casualties (both military and civilian) attributable to Japanese invasions were particularly high in China. Each time the Japanese occupied a Southeast Asian nation, they set up a military administration. Leaders of local independence movements cooperated with those military administrations so that they could liberate their countries from the yoke of the Western powers. But when the Japanese insisted that local populations learn the Japanese language and worship at Shinto shrines, they met with resistance. Anti-Japanese elements who aligned themselves with the Allies engaged in guerrilla warfare, which Japanese troops dealt with severely. Many people, civilians included, were killed during these confrontations. When the fortunes of war turned against Japan and food supplies ran short, the Japanese often forced the local population to do back-breaking work. After the war was over, Japan paid reparations to those nations. Then Japan was accused of promoting the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere philosophy to justify the war and occupation of Asia. Later, after Japan was defeated and Japanese troops had withdrawn from Asia, all these former colonies achieved independence through their own efforts during the next dozen years. Some Japanese soldiers remained in Asia and participated in the various struggles for independence. The initial goal of Japan’s southward advance was to obtain resources, but it also served to spur on nascent independence movements in Asia" (p. 54)
Japanese Actions Inspire the Peoples of Asia :
"Japanese soldiers drove out the forces of Western Europe, which had colonized the nations of Asia for many years. They surprised us, because we didn’t think we could possibly beat the white man, and they inspired us with confidence. They awakened us from our long slumber, and convinced us to make the nation of our ancestors our own nation once again. We cheered the Japanese soldiers as they marched through the Malay Peninsula. When we saw the defeated British troops fleeing, we felt an excitement we had never experienced before. (Excerpt from the writings of Raja Dato Nong Chik, leader of the Malaysian independence movement and former member of the Malaysian House of Representatives)" (p. 54)