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China concerned at Japan's history textbook revisions

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@Markus L:

"Thus, Japan was allowed to preserve-- and resume under the Cold War sanction of the United States-- its presumption of superiority over other Asians. Also, Japan's racist wartime ideology, which had propelled atrocities against Asian soldiers and civilians alike, escaped scrutiny and condemnation"

So neither the Chinese nor the Koreans see themselves as superior?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@Markus L: Good link. I would also add, allowing the emperor to escape responsibility for war crimes exacerbated the problem of not taking responsibility for the war

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Hiroshima and Nagasaki gave Japan a "get out of war crimes free" card

Actually, The San Francisco Peace Treaty and the US Occupation of Japan (from 1945 until 1951) were largely responsible for allowing Japan to deny it's WW2 atrocities and consequent responsibilities, including proper reparations and historical recognition.

For those interested, this excellent article "A Just Peace? The 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty in Historical Perspective" by John Price (professor of history at the University of Victoria, British Columbia) is well worth reading carefully, if you really wish to understand the why China, Korea and other Asian countries will not just "let this go" as some JT readers suggest they should.

http://www.jpri.org/publications/workingpapers/wp78.html

This is a quote from the article...

"Thus, Japan was allowed to preserve-- and resume under the Cold War sanction of the United States-- its presumption of superiority over other Asians. Also, Japan's racist wartime ideology, which had propelled atrocities against Asian soldiers and civilians alike, escaped scrutiny and condemnation"

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Japan needs to take the lead on this point, I feel, and give an honest account in its school history textbooks. Abe should also shut up, step down, and fade into obscurity

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Remember folks, some very crazy people that run China believe they should get "revenge" on Japan's current population for the past in spite of the fact many of them did not live in that era nor even experience it. In spite of the fact that the CCP didn't even exist during WWII. The craziness will continue, until the real global powers that be make the CCP sit down and shut up and deal with its own historical and even more recent stupidity.

3 ( +3 / -1 )

First off China, these are Japan's internal affairs!!!!!!! Oh wait, that is your line ALL the time! Secondly, speak when the day has come you have free open, uncensored news broadcasts, internet and also history correct text books and a society open to any and all information outside of China and even more important, INSIDE China as well. Come out of your war mentality and establish China as a peaceful country on a peaceful rise you LIARS! China is a totalitarian ran country with people formed and molded as a pawn of their leaders instead of voices as the face of their country! Should anyone believe or even listen to anything Chinese or China? If they do they are very ignorant to todays events and events throughout the last 73 years! And... absolutely do not know China today as for what it is! This propaganda war between Japan and China, tht China has started in overseas papers, Japan should use every add to explain what China still is today and every action China has taken recently and actions it it taking today against its people and in the region. That would help to establish the total differences between Japan and China as a country and as a society! Japan has such a weapon of mass destruction against China in any international forum and Japan should be taking full advantage of this! No western society favors anything authoritarian, or censored and that has not changed in the least in China. Use it Japan to the fullest. Shape world public opinion on the facts about China! In Western democracies, public opinion is what makes policies!

4 ( +4 / -0 )

What a joke coming from the CCP. This is the crowd who are masters of denying and rewriting their own history (and everyone else) to suit their own propaganda; and who force Chinese journalist to sit for Marxist (CCP) ideology exams, and their historians to interpret Chinese history (both ancient and modern) through a Marxist lens. The CCP have zero credibility when it comes to telling other nations to be truthful about their histories when they are incapable of doing so themselves.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Perhaps Japanese textbooks should put the Nanking and Yangzhou massacres side by side in their textbook, so they can compare the alleged figures of 300,000 for Nanking and 800,000 for Yangzhou. The Yangzhou massacre was carried out by Qing troops against loyalists to the Southern Ming as punishment and to send a message that Qing wasn't to be resisted.

This is completely a Chinese on Chinese massacre, that you never hear the Chinese talking about or see them holding their heads in shame over.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Japanese textbooks today make clear that Japan was the aggressor in WWII and was responsible for bringing suffering on many people in other countries. I don't have a problem with that. From the way China complains you would think that Japanese textbooks claimed that they were attacked or something. Basically what China wants is for Japanese textbooks to contain all he anti-Japan "facts" that are espoused by China and it's forced Patriotic Education. Well considering that China has been and remains unable to substantiate figures like 300,000 as Nanking casualties and the debate goes on, I don't see how it's at all possible. Not to mention that no country lets another country determine the contents of it's textbooks. China even whining about it is just plain stupid.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

You got to love how when China criticizes Japan's lies of international scale, posters here condemn China's lies of national scale en masse.

When China speaks, suddenly two wrongs make a right. I for one, do not want to appear to be on the side of either liar. But when you go to so much trouble to call China a hypocrite, it sure smells like someone is siding with a Japan a bit.

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

Are the Chinese textbooks historically accurate? DO they have a right to criticize?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Every country puts their own slant on history and China and Japan are no exception. Any chance of objectivity gets lost in the need by each party to justify their actions. Winston Churchill once wrote: 'History will be kind to me for I intend to write it." In past Japanese history textbooks, Japan's invasion of South East Asia was termed "an adventurous sweep through Asia". This shows an example of how a country puts their own spin on history. What is needed to counter this is a full and open discussion on what really happened in history,free from recriminations. Obviously China does not allow this and Japan seems reluctant to embrace it.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Friday China was “gravely concerned” about reports Japan was seeking to revise history textbooks, a sensitive issue as China says such books do not accurately reflect what happened in the war.

You know, if Communist China didn't base their own textbooks on a mishmash of selective history to distort their own dark history they might have a moral horse to ride. But, they use selective history to paint a picture of a poor nation being abused by those around them. They make themselves look as if they have never been aggressive to their neighbors nor have they ever invaded.

The word brainwashing comes to mind when you see how little their people understand that history. But when you deal with a Communist regime you get that.

Now, before folks are whipped into a frenzy, let me say that most if not all nations teach the same thing, propaganda. It is up to the person to either sit back and accept what he/she is fed is real or to scratch that scab and find the puss. If you are lazy and or blind you will not dig deeper and see the truth and how the world truly is and has been. Every nation has a dark history, many nation have more darker histories.

The difference here is plain and simple, in free nations you can find those dark chapters of your nations history and are allowed to address and complain against them. But, in Communist China you cannot find that darkness because they don't let you. And if for some reason you do find it and try and speak up against it you will find yourself in a dark cell for a long time.

Being free to speak your mind is the right of each and every person in the world, but countries such as Communist China see that freedom as a threat. And with any threat they will try and destroy it.

Right now Communist China sees Japan as a threat to their dream of domination and that is why they are on a push to stop Japan from having a voice or a military.

If Japan has no military then they won't be a threat to Communist China's dream of domination.

Freedom is not free, sometimes you have to fight to keep it.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

How are Japanese to alter history book? Are they going to say Japan was a victim of WWII? ..LOL... Are they going to erase the fact that Japan didn't launch the Pearl Harbor attack? If so, i suppose to drop another boy on Tokyo.

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

For China to gain the moral high ground, it needs to lead by example.

However, it can't because Chinese 'history' omits questionable episodes.

Like many nations.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

I bet they're not as concerned as those of us considering our children spending time in the Japanese education/indoctrination system....

1 ( +1 / -0 )

While the revisions (whatever they actually are) may not be the right thing to do, China really needs to bugger off out of it and mind their own bloody business. They are worse than the Japanese as far as reimagining their past... cleverly omitting any mention of the Cultural Revolution massacres and executions of those who didn't fit in with the new way of thinking.

So I say to China... go away and plunder the moon or something... lest the world opens its eyes to what YOU did.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

And this coming from THE model of historical accuracy, transparency and truth..........

4 ( +5 / -1 )

The Chinese government are truly like the American reality TV show "stars" the Kardashians.

Just SO sick and tired of reading and hearing about them, every single day someone is spouting some other nonsense.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

People seem to equate that because Mao was bad for his people and there was not enough condemnation, then Japan can also rewrite history. So did Japan invade Singapore and SEAsia? Did they kill hundreds of thousands of the innocent people or did these people just ran into their bayonets? Was Syonanto a figment of somebody's imagination? China must stand up to Japan's intentions if the other countries are too weak to confront Japan. In Singapore, our people are fed up with our very weak PM's weak response to the Yasukuni.

Did any other country invade Singapore or SE Asia? How did Singapore come to be, and why do the Malaysians hate Singapore? Has China or have Chinese set up ethnic Chinese enclaves around the world to outwit the local populace and effectively take control? Does Japan do the same?

I'm not saying that Japan should ignore its past deeds. Not at all. They address that they did bad things in the past and very rightfully educate their children that war and empire are not the ways that civilized nations should operate. There is no need to drill every sordid and horrifying detail of what happens during war or under imperialism. Understanding that it is wrong is enough, and China and SK constantly demanding that Japanese students be forced national humiliation just because their ancestors visited humiliation on other nations that also humiliated others themselves. To demand such is not only unfair and unbalanced, it is also hypocritical. Singapore also has a history of forced prostitution, secret societies (triads), and coolie labor exploitation, not so far in the distant past as well as ethnic tensions that exist even up to the present.

From the government level, I think there is very little genuine sympathy for the victims. This is all about national positioning and political grandstanding. Even a re-militarized Japan poses little, if any threat to its neighbors. Asia is not the Asia of the late 19th and early 20th centuries where weaker nations were ripe for the pickings. Japan could not martial that sort of military power, nor could it support its own economy or weather criticism domestically or internationally if it were to attack one of its neighbors. So this "scenario" that the Chinese are trying to paint a picture of "recurring" simply isn't going to happen.

With that being said, Japan has every right and would be well advised to strengthen its military as much as possible to make itself an undesirable and hugely expensive conquest prospect to China.

Mao was responsible for a massive number of civilian deaths, as was Tojo. Why is it right to honor one but not the other? Either each nation is free to domestically honor their fallen soldiers and leaders, regardless of the political ideology behind them, or they are not. Many of the soldiers that fought for Imperial Japan didn't have much say in the matter, and they deserve to be remembered just as much as any country's soldiers do.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

People seem to equate that because Mao was bad for his people and there was not enough condemnation, then Japan can also rewrite history. So did Japan invade Singapore and SEAsia? Did they kill hundreds of thousands of the innocent people or did these people just ran into their bayonets? Was Syonanto a figment of somebody's imagination? China must stand up to Japan's intentions if the other countries are too weak to confront Japan. In Singapore, our people are fed up with our very weak PM's weak response to the Yasukuni.

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

Politicization of textbooks is not good for any of the East Asian nations, including Japan. Three wrongs don't make a right.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Hi people, don't listen more what china says. They write horrors in their textbook against Japan.

0 ( +4 / -3 )

I hope the revised textbook devotes a chapter to what the Chinese did at Tsushima, Iki and Hakata in 1274 and 1281.

Again, that was an invasion led by a Mongol dynasty, (with Chinese and Korean conscripts) No Mongol leadership = no invasion.

So when it suits the Chinese, they are part of a Chinese dynasty, and when it doesn't they aren't? The modern Japanese also (rightly) say that the crimes of WWII were committed on the part of a military dictatorship that no longer exists. Why do you allow this logic for China, but not for Japan?

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Just curious, how much and in how much detail do Chinese history books talk about Tibet, Tiananmen Square, the victims of the cultural revolution and other less than savory tidbits from China's past.

Every time China opens it's mouth, the old adage about people living in glass houses and the fact that they should not throw stones. With China, it seems to be a stone a day.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Revisionism isn't a Japanese only problem, this idea is really hypocritical. In Japanese textbooks there are some controversial points but I don't think Chinese, American, European, South-Korean textbooks are not biased at all. I also believe people who say "Japanese were worse than the Nazis" are not showing respect to the Nazis' victims. You can't say who did the worst things. And the Allies weren't "angels" either, I wonder how much we actually know about the Allies' war crimes. I read about some horrible atrocities committed by everyone in a book about war crimes some time ago. For example, they speak about how the Russians raped German women: they nailed them on the floor (yeah, nailed) and then they were raped by tens of soldiers (40,50,60...). They were innocent girls and women as much as Chinese and Korean victims of Japanese soldiers, they weren't different only because German. And do you know about "Marocchinate"? From Wikipedia: "Marocchinate (pronounced [marokkiˈnate], Italian for "Moroccans' deeds") is a term applied to the mass rape and killings committed during World War II after the Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy. These were committed mainly by the Goumiers, Moroccan colonial troops of the French Expeditionary Corps (FEC),[1] commanded by General Alphonse Juin. Over 60,000 women, between the ages of 11 to 86, were raped. Men who attempted to protect them were also killed. The monument "Mamma Ciociara" was erected in remembrance of the women who were killed during the Marocchinate." Yeah, Italy was one of the Axis Powers, but do you think this is less bad only because the rapers and killers were French soldiers? And it's not how France apologized to us Italians for this. And I have no idea if they speak about this so much in their textbooks, after all they were the good guys vs the Axis Powers. Yeah...about this, I'd like to remember that at that time also the "good guys" were imperialist powers. What French and British did in their colonies was horrible. But if you want to think they were the "heroes", okay, it's your choice, but you are only in denial. If Perry hadn't forced Japan by using violence to open itself, and the Europeans hadn't colonized and killed millions of people in Asia and in the rest of the world before Japan started to do the same, copying the European model, maybe China, Korea and Japan would be in good terms now. So, I don't think that the West can teach something to other countries. Also today, the West isn't in the position to do it.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

I honestly couldn't care less about what China thinks

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Abe is a right winger.

In the UK he would belong to the National Front.

Nonsense. He would be standing side by side with a Margaret Thatcher type, not a Nick Griffin. (And btw, I was no supporter of Thatcher.)

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I don't like to see people rewrite history no matter who it is, Japanese, Chinese, and so forth, but any "concern" coming from the PRC is not fully altruistic, as it has its own long track record of rewriting history and has a long list of taboo subjects notably things like Tienanmen Square which quickly earns you the ire of the local authorities if you even dare to raise a peep.

Don't delude yourself by thinking that only Japan/China whitewash or play down history, especially the negative bits. Heck, even the USA glossed over some of the really bad bits of what happened in Vietnam, and Australia with its recent wrangling of the Stolen Generation. That being said, this is in no way a desirable trait, as you learn from your mistakes (at least I hope so). History is not there for you to cherry pick the convenient bits and blot out the ones tat are (usually politically) inconvenient.

Better yet, just don't do it. You can't change the past unless you have discovered how to travel through time. Not only that, the present and its needs are way more pressing, no matter where you are, no matter which country you are from, and so forth. In my opinion, those who are fixated with the past do not deserve a future. Learning lessons from the past is one thing, but being fixated and being obsessed about certain events is most definitely not helpful.

I'd like to also point out that education is and should be a lifelong process but it's up to the individual to manage this. Don't just rely on any form of "official" curriculum and so forth. Go out and learn for yourself and go see things for yourself.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

I don't want to see history whitewashed, but the very fact that people can be discussing this kind of thing openly on this website and in this country, whereas such open criticism of the Cultural Revolution, Great Leap Forward, Tibet, Tiananmen Square, CCP officials' hidden wealth and government corruption would have websites shut down and you locked up - this should tell you that China is not in any way speaking from a moral standpoint.

The facts cannot be denied and history cannot be revised. (Hong Lei, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson.)

Naturally, this applies equally to China. And in my English school, I was never taught about the confiscation of land from the indigenous population of Ireland, the plantation of Ulster, the massacre/attempted genocide of Scots at Culloden, Bomber Harris's wanton slaughter of Dresden civilians, the shoddy handling of Indian independence which resulted in the India/Pakistan conflict...we all omit things from out histories, sometimes due to lack of space in the curriculum and sometimes because it's culturally convenient to do so. However, our history lessons didn't teach us to hate people, and I don't think Japan's do either.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

Because China NEVER lies about anything in its own history and of course is a neutral and respected source of information to the world. Seriously, as much as I despise Abe and his policy and as much as I want a peaceful Eastern Asian world, China just has to be very very quiet about anything and has to stop abusing history for its weird, out of proportion world view. I bet a lot more people since 1945 died of other causes than the evil Japanese. But maybe they can cry together with the dying and also very pure and innocent North Korean regime.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

History is interesting - I am really interested in what China has told it's people the cultural revolution was. millions dead from starvation from bad practices, millions more subjugated to ridicule and forced to work in menial jobs because of thier education.

oh wait- china has already said that Mao was doing great works so of course that has to be true

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Japan should rewrite history The kids don't need to know why the rest of Asia hates them. My son would be devastated to find out that his Great Grand Father might have been caught up in all that. War is ugly and the victor writes the history books. I guess the special thing is that Hiroshima and Nagasaki gave Japan a get out of war crimes free card. Thousands of people innocent people died and continue to this day. a lot more devastating in many peoples eyes than what happen in China and other events that Japan was involve in.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Well, we can go on about how the Japanese believed they had a living divinity as emperor, but make sure you remind us that your Jesus is coming back asーyou guessed itーa living divinity. A shockingly large number of Amercans think their imported fairy god is real and he created everything some mere 4000 or so years ago.

Of course textbook revision and outright historical lies are of serious concern, which is also the same as celebrating Columbus Day.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Maybe China should worry about china and then criticize other.

They tried that. The result was being carved up by world powers, last of all was...wait for it....Japan!

China is wary for reasons proven by history.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

Don,t believe everything you hear or see

Unfortunately most Japanese back WWII believed that emperor was a living Devine God even they have never heard what he spoke or seen him physically.

Due to that rubbish story, many Japanese Kamikaze pilots killed themselves and others pointlessly. In fact emperor was a normal human.

There are always three sided story.

That world was not only having three nations of China, Japan and Korea during WWII. There are also Myanmar sided story, Philippines sided story, Singapore sided story, Britain sided story, American sided story and Indonesia sided story of Japanese imperial army war crimes and atrocities.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Don't be so naive. China's intention is not but to brake Japan's sovereignty. Japan's government is well aware of this and so far, they're doing a good job by making blind eyes to all the Chinese whining.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

The rest of the world is worried about China's CONTINUED Militarization but they're worried about TEXT Books ?!?!?!

Finally, someone speaks sense. It seems that problems of historical interpretation (read: an academic debate) is more important than actual actions involving huge amounts of funds that might have been spent on improving the lives of countless people still living in poverty in Western China.

Well, the Chinese have to use whatever buttons they have. And since Japan really isn't giving them much to push on they are left with this.

What is less understandable is why the West also gives it exaggerated importance. If China is really a goody-goody nation and all that, I can at least see the West feeling "bored" and getting to this part of the agenda, but this is not the case.

1 ( +8 / -7 )

China is not concerned. China is amazed at the fraudulence that is pervasive in the Japanese character that makes any appeals for talks by Japanese officials impossible since they lack total credibility and honesty.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The rest of the world is worried about China's CONTINUED Militarization but they're worried about TEXT Books ?!?!?!

2 ( +10 / -8 )

Don't believe in everything you hear or see because there are always three sides to every story. Yours, theirs and the truth. The truth is dark secrets exist in the history books of China and Korea. The real history and or missing parts of the history can be researched and you can find out for yourself that both countries are not completely honest and innocent. They need to take responsibility and revise their own modern history textbook as well.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

House AtreidesJAN. 18, 2014 - 04:00PM JST

I hope the revised textbook devotes a chapter to what the Chinese did at Tsushima, Iki and Hakata in 1274 and 1281.

To be fair, those were Mongols and everybody knows that the Mongols were on a tear. How about Hideyoshi and his failed invasions of the continent?

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

This is Tantamount to denying the Holocaust, Hollywood is good at portraying the holocaust but fails to put pressure on Japan for a much worse holocaust. Hell, even Nazis came to China and thought the Japanese did were a bunch of sadistic insane torture lovers who pretty much thought killing someone was a leniency.

0 ( +9 / -9 )

accounts of the Nanjing Massacre and the comfort women are biased

Of course they are biased! They were written by a bunch of old fogies that still believe Japan was right to try to take over half of the world and they are prepared to lie through their teeth to protect their so-called 'bushido honor'. If 'bushido honor' was true they would openly admit their faults and move on, but it's just a bunch of 'bullshito'!

1 ( +11 / -10 )

I just thought of a brilliant idea. After presenting the new textbooks to a team of Chinese and South Korean education experts for approval, Abe should meet with the surviving sex slaves and give them his apology in person. That, more than money, would do wonders for his reputation. Rather than running around Africa trying to buy new friends

-12 ( +6 / -18 )

warispeace,

It is liberal in the older meaning, still used in England, to mean the liberalization of the economy (in the past from vested interests, such as lords and landowners). In fact, the LDP today is very much neo-liberal, but not very democratic.

I am British, but I'm not familiar with this definition.

Presumably, you are referring to the third definition given here:

• willing to respect or accept behaviour or opinions different from one's own; open to new ideas: liberal views towards divorce. • favourable to or respectful of individual rights and freedoms: liberal citizenship laws. • (in a political context) favouring individual liberty, free trade, and moderate political and social reform: a liberal democratic state.

In which case, I still maintain that his party is far from liberal, especially as regards "moderate political and social reform."

Abe is a right winger.

In the UK he would belong to the National Front.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

I hope the revised textbook devotes a chapter to what the Chinese did at Tsushima, Iki and Hakata in 1274 and 1281.

Again, that was an invasion led by a Mongol dynasty, (with Chinese and Korean conscripts) No Mongol leadership = no invasion.

If Japan openly admits in the new textbooks that at least 150,000 people died in the Nanking massacre, that around 200,000 women were coerced into sexual slavery, and allied POWs did forced labour projects, then I could admit some respect for the Japanese government's new textbooks. There is a difference between mistreating your own people (which has happened in China) and invading and brutalising much of Asia (and then denying that you actually "invaded" )

-3 ( +8 / -11 )

What truly matters is the notion behind the alteration rather than the change itself.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@BertieWoosterJ

It's amazing to me that Abe calls his party "Liberal-Democratic," when it is clearly neither liberal nor democratic.

It is liberal in the older meaning, still used in England, to mean the liberalization of the economy (in the past from vested interests, such as lords and landowners). In fact, the LDP today is very much neo-liberal, but not very democratic.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Whatever valid points China makes, and I'd be very suspicious of anyone who didn't regard the attempts of the LDP to whitewash history as a valid concern, are now being lost in a very nasty barrage of insults and hypocrisy from China. There is hatred in spades from both countries, a very belligerent China and a Japanese government attempting to instill patriotism by debauching the minds of its children in a parody of what education should be about. Dark skies ahead.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Yeap, PRC is totally right to be concerned with this issue.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

Denying history, especially history that doesn't put your country in a favorable light, is a disservice to your citizens. Growing up in the US I was amazed when I got older and found out, all on my own, what really happened when, say, the US expanded into West. Or, the wars fought in the Barbary Coast, Korea, Vietnam, or... well, the list goes on. History must be taught as accurately as possible, or we really may be doomed to repeat it. So, yeah, please Japan, keep in the Kamikazes, Unit 731, the occupations, etc. It's good to study the mistakes, or it's again, a dishonor to those who suffered from them, and we call all learn from the mistakes from the past.

14 ( +17 / -3 )

I share their concern.

It's amazing to me that Abe calls his party "Liberal-Democratic," when it is clearly neither liberal nor democratic.

Abe and his "friends" are leading this country in a very, very bad direction.

3 ( +14 / -12 )

Invasion Crime....one word comes to mind. Tibet

10 ( +18 / -7 )

I hope the revised textbook devotes a chapter to what the Chinese did at Tsushima, Iki and Hakata in 1274 and 1281. It's about time the students found out where the bad blood between Japan and China really started. A chapter comparing the Yuan Dynasty to Communist China would also be helpful in explaining where China is headed today and why Japan is in China's cross hairs.

-1 ( +8 / -8 )

Maybe China should worry about china and then criticize other. Heres a start china, lower child labor, lower pollution and maybe lower the illeagal slavery.

5 ( +16 / -12 )

Perhaps if Japanese politicians like the above-mentioned faded into obscurity, then the Chinese wouldn`t need to

-9 ( +5 / -14 )

The Chinese have a valid point. However, their case would be more persuasive if the education ministry of the PRC did not teach hatred of Japan and perpetual victim hood as a compulsory course.

11 ( +23 / -12 )

That`s right, you tell them China. Fortunately history is soon to become a compulsory subject in Japan from high school onwards. Abe and the LDP believe accounts are biased? What a joke

-3 ( +7 / -10 )

Hong Lei draws a card and raises 10 cents.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

For once, they do have a valid point. I also share their concerns, especially given Abe's ancestry.

It's amazing how little Japanese people know about their own country's history - and who's to blame?

12 ( +22 / -10 )

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