From: ntetsuya@lamar.ColoState.EDU (Nishimura)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan,soc.culture.china,soc.culture.korean
Subject: Re: Irresponsibility (Re: An open letter to the Emperor Akihito of Japan)
Date: 19 Aug 92 06:54:39 GMT
Organization: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO  80523

In article <kim.920818214522@magneto.physics.auburn.edu> news@ducvax.auburn.edu writes:
[stuff deleted]

>Why does the man who want to censor the truth become a Japanese political
>leaders, although there exists a man such as you, Nishimura sang. 
>
>politicians have what the truth is and they are as samrt as you, why do
>they censor the history text book and teach their kids to tell a lie.

	I am no defender or spokesman of the Japanese government, I will post
	some of the main reasons why they asked the authors of the history text
	books to revise and re-write the books as far as I can recall:
		*** comments in parentheses are mine***

	1)	number of victims in Massacre of Nanking
		original(s):  400 thousand, 4 million
		censored   :  a great number of
		reason     :  there is no confirmed statistics found in 
			      any source.

		(I've seen both numbers above as well as larger and smaller 
		 numbers.)

	2)	Japan's invasion of China
		original(s):  Japan's invasion of China
		censored   :  Japan's advance into China
		reason	   :  the word is too elaborated and may be 
			      too shocking for the students.

		(they seem to be taking care of the youth, though, they are
		 ignoring their right to know information from another view)

	Well, this is all that I can recall for now.  The censorship of the 
	texts-to-be is held every three years and newly publishing texts as well
	as the ones that passed the censorship three years before have to be 
	"advised."  Yes, this is just pieces of "advices," though, if you don't
	follow the advice, the text won't be published.

	The results of censorship (or advice) are undoubtedly published on the
	very first page of newspapers with detailed explanations and commentary,	which usually occupy two to three more pages, and are broadcast on most
	TV and radio news.


	I happen to have the history text book which I used in my high school 
	days here.  Let's see what's in there and compare it with above.

		title: shousetsu: nihonshi
			(detailed: Japanese History)
		pub. date: March, 1981

		Massacre of Nanking
			nothing is mentioned

		Japan's invasion of/advance into China
			neither of the words/expressions is used

	At this point, as you see, there seem to have been slight and a few
	revisions in good direction, if you will,in these 10 years.
	As far as "advance" is concerned, the word is used in the section which
	deals with WW I as in the following:

		Japan, at that time, was trying to advance more into the 
		continent, however, she had no way to oppose the lage capital
		of the western countries.
		(in this case, advance may equal to "seek the way into.")

	Does anyone on the net have information what is on the most recent 
	text books?


						Tetsuya Nishimura


>The past history of WWII is too big and important to be ignored by Japan.
>I agree that all of the country have some type of censor ship but the
>topic is concerned as the world topic like the WWII, they should not
>hide the truth. 
>
>To be a big brother country Japan government and all of the high-intelligent
>Japanese must teach their kids the truth, then Japna can be one of
>the really great nation who can get respect from all of the countries.
>But as long as Japanese government and their buracrat try to ingnore
>the past and misquid their new generations, Japanese will be remained as
>a just ECONOMICAL ANIMAL whihc has no SOUL and SPIRIT. 
>
>Still hope all of the Japanese be like you and be brave to face
>their dark history.  
>
>                                    Kim  from Korea.
>.