Japanese Minister, “It’s good to Lessen ‘Comfort women’ Expression in Textbooks”

Japanese Minister, “It’s good to Lessen ‘Comfort women’ Expression in Textbooks”. November. 28, 2004 23:03. by Won-Jae Park parkwj@donga.com.

Reckless remarks on history by Japanese politicians are continuing.

“It is very desirable that Japanese textbooks have reduced their use of expressions such as ‘comfort women’ or ‘forced,’ and Japan must stop being cruel to itself,” said Minister Nakayama Nariyaki of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MOECSST).

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe, a strong candidate to be the next prime minister, also argued on the same day that Prime Minster Junichiro Koizumi and following prime ministers should continue war shrine visits.

“Japanese textbooks have been overly self-tormenting until now, which seems that Japan has done nothing but bad things,” said Minister Nakayama Nariyaki at a rally held in Oita. He directly criticized the contents of existing textbooks that describe the cruelty of Japanese militarism.

Since the MOESST has worked on the history textbook authorization for middle school students of 2006, the minister’s remark is highly likely to influence the result of the authorization both directly and indirectly.

The minister Nakayama, who has won parliamentary election five times, chaired the “Group of People Who Think of Japan’s Future and History Education” of the Liberal Democratic Party.