As anyone who reads news related to East Asia knows Japan's history textbooks have been a thorn in its relationships with China and Korea for quite some time. Japan is accused by its neighbors of glossing over its wartime atrocities in the history textbooks it uses in schools, all of which must be approved by the Japanese Ministry of Education.
One of the main issues is the Japanese Army's use of 'Comfort Women', a sterilized reference for the forced prostitution of thousands of women from China, Korea, and many other countries in East and South East Asia (Dutch, Australian, and British women living in Asia are also included). These women were brought to the front lines and forced to serve Japanese soldiers to help keep their moral and 'fighting spirit'. Many of them were children of 12-17 at the time of their abduction.
Here is a website I found that has foreign language translations of the Japanese history textbooks used in middle schools throughout the country. It has translations in English, Chinese, and Korean, and also includes the original Japanese for those who are interested. Interestingly enough, I found the link on the website of the Japanese Embassy in China.
Translations of Japanese Middle School History Textbooks
Another important part of the issue is former Prime Minister Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine, where 14 convicted Class A war criminals lie buried alongside some 2.5 million people who died in the war. Here is a link with the Japanese government's official stance.
Bookmark/Search this post with:
