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Business Upturn
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Upturn
Global Times: Japanese textbooks contain misleading descriptions regarding the causes of WWII, says Japanese civil group
Beijing, China, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A Japanese civil group said in an exclusive interview with the Global Times on Tuesday that Japanese junior high school history textbooks contain inaccurate descriptions regarding the causes of World War II. The group warned that Japan's current lack of responsibility in addressing historical issues could make it difficult for Japanese young people to understand the true history of the war and to critically examine the essence of contemporary social issues. Since April, junior high schools across Japan started to use new textbooks. The changes to the way World War II is described have sparked concern and unease among the Children and Textbooks Japan Network 21, a non-governmental organization formed in 1998 that has long been focusing on issues surrounding textbook approval and the presentation of war history in Japan. 'We reviewed junior high school history textbooks published by Tokyo Shoseki, Kyoiku Shuppan, Teikoku-Shoin, Yamakawa Shuppansha, Nihon Bunkyo Shuppan, and Manabisha. Among them, only Manabisha's version explicitly writes that 'Japan started the war,' while most textbooks used descriptions like 'the war began,'' Yoko Kojiya, secretary-general of the organization, told the Global Times on Tuesday via email, noting this expression makes it difficult for students to understand and contemplate why Japan started the war and how it proceeded with colonial rule. Kojiya pointed out particularly that the descriptions in textbooks about Japan's invasion of China are not sufficiently detailed. Also, the content about why Japan went to war with the US and the UK in 1941 is problematic because it is described as 'Japan had to go to war due to being isolated by the ABCD [America, Britain, China and Dutch] encirclement.' Kojiya said to better teach history and allow Japanese students to grasp war history more fully and impartially, it's vital to enable discussions on why Japan started the wars and how Japanese people should prevent such conflicts from happening in the future. 'Therefore, it is necessary to provide a large amount of historical material to help understand the nature of war.' Kojiya also highlighted the changes concerning the 'Nanjing Massacre' and 'comfort women,' slamming Japanese government's textbook screening policy as political interference in educational content. 'The term 'Nanjing Massacre' is used in fewer textbooks nowadays, with many referring to it as the 'Nanjing Incident' instead. And the number of people massacred is accompanied by caveats such as 'there are various opinions' or that the number 'is being researched,'' Kojiya said. The Nanjing Massacre is one of the darkest chapters of World War II. The atrocities began on December 13, 1937, when Japanese troops captured the then-Chinese capital Nanjing, unleashing six weeks of devastation that claimed the lives of an estimated 300,000 civilians and unarmed soldiers, according to Xinhua. Regarding 'comfort women,' Kojiya said that the removal of the term 'accompanying the military' in the textbooks aims to hide the fact that these women were forced into sexual servitude by the Japanese military. 'The National History Textbook published by ReiwaShoseki even writes 'There is no evidence of Japanese troops forcibly taking away women.' I consider it a serious problem that this passed the government screening without any objections,' Kojiya said. The 'comfort women' system was a military sexual slavery regime enforced by the Japanese government and its military during World War II. It resulted in at least 400,000 innocent women worldwide being forced into sexual slavery. Nearly half of them were Chinese, according to Xinhua. According to Xinhua, in 2021, the Japanese government decided through a cabinet meeting to deem expressions such as 'comfort women accompanying the military' as 'inappropriate textbook terminology.' Japan's education authority subsequently requested modifications to related teaching materials, including those already distributed. Kojiya told the Global Times that it is a serious problem that the descriptions in Japanese history textbooks can be greatly influenced by the policies of the government at any given time. 'The current textbook screening in Japan is not focusing on pointing out academic errors, but rather on whether the descriptions align with government inclinations,' said Kojiya. This year marks the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. On May 31, the organization held a seminar in Tokyo to discuss the proper role of Japanese history education eight decades after the war. According to the seminar material Kojiya sent to the Global Times, during the seminar, Hisao Ishiyama, former chairman of the History Educationalist Conference of Japan, said that since 2014, forces that glorify war and distort history started to utilize the deteriorated textbook system and government power to launch a government-wide effort to distort the entire population's understanding of history. In response to this challenge, Kojiya told the Global Times that she is especially worried about the rise of conservative forces, such as the 'Tsukurukai,' which attack reflection on the war and the pacifism of the constitution, advocate for a constitutional amendment, and push forward policies aimed at expanding military capabilities to build Japan into a country that can wage war. 'Thus, it is crucial to squarely face the historical facts of aggression on the basis of the reflection that led to the creation of the Japanese Constitution, and to gather the strength of people who wish to stop policies that will make Japan a 'war state',' Kojiya said. This story first appeared in Global Times: Company: Global TimesContact Person: Anna Li Email: [email protected] Website: City: Beijing Disclaimer: This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies (including product offerings, regulatory plans and business plans) and may change without notice. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same.
Japan Forward
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Forward
Anti-Japanese Museum in Canada Draws Criticism from Lawmakers
On May 27, 2025, Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Masahisa Sato raised concerns in the House of Councillors Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee over a museum in Canada run by a Chinese-Canadian organization. It was not the first time he had done so. The museum, he said, conspicuously promotes anti-Japanese narratives through exhibits shown to large numbers of local high school students. He first raised the issue at an April 17 committee session. According to those familiar with the matter, the museum in question opened in June 2024 in Toronto, Ontario. Called the Asia Pacific Peace Museum, it was reportedly spearheaded by a local Chinese-Canadian organization called Alpha Education. Its exhibits include references prominently reflecting China's viewpoint on the Nanjing Incident and comfort women. Sato urged Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya to formally protest to Canada's Foreign Minister, Anita Anand. Iwaya, however, waffled that Japan would respond at "the most appropriate level and timing." Such a weak response could erode Japan's credibility and national dignity, Sato warned. "We speak up to South Korea, but we go silent when it comes to [propaganda from] China," Sato pointed out. "That double standard undermines our standing." Iwaya responded that Japan had conveyed its position and would act "at the most appropriate level and timing," adding, "I ask that you trust our judgment." Sato pushed back: "If the foreign minister can't speak up to defend Japan's reputation, who will?" These concerns about anti-Japanese narratives abroad emerged amid growing scrutiny over the Justin Trudeau administration's historically cozy ties with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canada was often criticized for its tepid response to Beijing's assertive influence campaigns. This criticism stemmed not only from diplomatic caution but also from a complex web of political and economic relationships that had been cultivated over decades. One telling example involved a C$50,000 ($36,000 USD) donation made by Zhang Bin, a billionaire Chinese businessman and senior CCP official. Zhang's donation to the University of Montreal was specifically to fund a statue of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, Justin Trudeau's father. Pierre Trudeau was among the first Western leaders to establish formal relations with Communist China, a move Beijing continues to celebrate. In 2016, Justin Trudeau also visited the homes of Chinese-Canadians who publicly supported Beijing's claims over disputed islands in the South China Sea. A month earlier, at an April session of the House of Councillors Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Sato had reproached Iwaya for what he perceived as a lack of urgency. LDP Upper House member Masahisa Sato questions officials at the House of Councillors Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense, at the National Diet. April 17. "If historical issues aren't addressed seriously, it will be extremely difficult to change perceptions," said Sato. "The Japanese population in Canada is overwhelmingly smaller than the Chinese population. If we don't take history issues seriously, Japanese people will lose their standing." Sato also pointed out that Iwaya had met former Foreign Minister Joly several times since taking office in October 2024. He stated, "It's a serious problem that despite meeting her multiple times, you haven't spoken out. It damages our national interest." Iwaya acknowledged that the museum received funding from a local government agency in Ontario. In closing, he still argued that the museum is "a private institution operated by a Chinese-Canadian organization, not a public museum." However, he also declared, "We will continue to clearly communicate Japan's position to Canada based on the facts." China's economic influence in Canada has long been facilitated by institutions like Power Corporation, the Desmarais family-owned conglomerate with extensive investments in China. This longstanding relationship has, according to scholars like Clive Hamilton, created a reluctance within Canada's political class to confront the CCP. The effect was evident during the 2018 arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, when Trudeau's government appeared politically paralyzed. The situation was compounded by then-Canadian Ambassador to China John McCallum, who effectively became Beijing's voice in Ottawa. McCallum publicly suggested that Meng had strong legal grounds to fight extradition and later encouraged China to "make a trade deal" that would benefit Canada. His repeated deviations from Canada's official stance ultimately led to his dismissal — but not before significantly undermining Ottawa's credibility. With China's influence deeply embedded in Canadian institutions and politics, Japan's silence only amplifies Beijing's narrative. (Read the related article in Japanese .) Author: Shimpei Okuhara, The Sankei Shimbun
