Japan Approves Revised 'Nationalist' Textbook - COMFORT WOMEN DELETED

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=5658583&cKey=1112711745000

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan approved a new edition of a textbook on Tuesday that critics say whitewashes Japan's militaristic past, drawing protests from China and South Korea and further fraying ties with the two Asian neighbors.

The Ministry of Education first approved the book, written by nationalist scholars for junior high schools, in 2001 in the face of strong protests from Japan's two Asian neighbors. snip

The term "comfort women," a euphemism for wartime sex slaves, disappeared from all history texts approved in the latest round of screenings, Japan's Kyodo news agency said.

Xinhua quoted foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang as expressing "indignation" over the issue, and saying the textbook "confuses right and wrong, confounds black and white and disregards several solemn representations from China."

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[Zuni]

1. Japan is in denial about it's past

The japanese have real issues in their education system. Their ultra nationalists are like our fundies, trying to control the content of school books.

[rodeodance]

2. "revisionist history" at its best!!

[slackmaster]

3. The Germans have done a much better job of coping with their dodgy past

Too bad the Japanese haven't really dealt with theirs yet.

[Selteri]

4. A playbook from Revisionist America

I'm sure the next thing will be that the two Atomic Bombs were dropped after they 'surrendured'.

[GregW]

5. Oh, great. Next thing they'll 'forget' about Nanking

:eyes:

[LostinVA]

9. They Have

They "liberated" Nanking, you know. No lie.

[goddess40]

6. makes you wonder what is missing from our textbooks

How will the mess read about bush's high jacking of the White House?

[UCLA Dem]

7. They really need to get out of this denial or they're doomed to repeat it

[ikojo]

8. I'd say US History books are pretty nationalist

as well. Americans are woefully ignorant of the crimes committed in our name.

[LostinVA]

10. Agreed. But at least the Neo-Nazis or KKK

Aren't writing our textbooks....

[ikojo]

14. Are you sure?

What seemed radically right 30 years ago (workfare for one) is now accepted as conventional wisdom, even by the Democrats.

Lynne Cheney wrote a history book and I'm sure it's no liberal tome.

[emad]

11. Japan history texts anger E Asia

BBC


Japan has approved a set of new school history text books whose version of past events has already sparked complaints from South Korea and China.

One of the eight texts is an updated version of a book which triggered diplomatic protests in 2001.

Seoul said the new books sought to glorify Japan's war-time past, a continuing source of regional tension.

The move follows a row between Japan and South Korea over disputed islands, and anti-Japanese protests in China.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4411771.stm

[golfboy]

12. just like us

Why shouldn't the Japanese change their history to suit their needs? We do it all the time!

We've removed most information about Columbus, WW2 detentions and slavery from our children's history books. And the only aspect of Thomas Jefferson that is now taught is that he was a slave owner.

But thankfully our kids ARE being taught how to put a condom on a banana, so we've got THAT going for us!

[Megahurtz]

13. Taking lessons from the U.S.'s

sugar-coated bullshit "history" books?