`Shameful Distorted History Textbook`

Mrs. Miki Musko (Photo), who is a wife of the former Japanese Prime Minister Miki Dakeo, has often given the critical advice to the Japanese government, even though she is 84 years old.

Mrs. Miki expressed her anger on the current political situation of Japan in her recent book, `Everyday Is Nothing But Insanity `.

The book begins with the fact that she participated in the press conference which was held in order to oppose the distorted history textbook on last February. Mrs. Miki criticized that ``I have been told that it would be better for me to bask in the sun with the cat in old age, but I could not remain calm about the textbook issue. It is so shameful that such a textbook has been made in Japan.``

Regarding the Japanese Premier Koizumi Junichiro`s visit to the Yasukuni Shrine, she expressed the opposition, saying that ``the peace constitutional law that declared the abandonment of the war is the only thing that Japan can proudly show to the world .``

And the book contained that she wrote about her relationship to the two Koreas and her thoughts with an empathetic view.

Mrs. Miki has worked as the president of `the friendly organization for Asian women` for the last 30 years, and has frequently visited to South and North Koreas, leading the movement for the military comfort women from 10 years ago.

The book ends like this. ``I want to see the reunified Korean peninsula when I am still alive. This is the last dream of my life. If there is something I can do to help, I will not hesitate to go wherever. After all, it is unsuitable for a while for me to bask in the sun holding a cat in my lap.``

Mrs. Miki plans to visit Korea in September in order to exhibit the pottery she made by compounding the clay of two Koreas in the World Ceramic Exposition 2001 Korea.

Shim Kyu-Sun ksshim@donga.com