Close up: Right-Wing Japanese History Textbook

Thorough Criticism: Right-Wing Perspective on History and Ideology

`Truth and Freedom for Textbook` Ed. by Yeol-Lak Hoe, Tran. by Kim Seok-Geun

Total 320 P. ten thousand won. Bada Publishing Company

When I went to Japan in the early July, I found that the `new history textbook` (right-wing Japanese History Textbook) stimulating the `historical controversies` between Korea and Japan sold as a bestseller. At that time, I was worried that the `new history textbook` would accomplish more than their goal of 10 percent adoption of the textbook.

For now the adoption of the textbook has been half way done so far and it is almost certain that the textbook will be adopted less than 2~3 percent. From this result, we can see the subtle psychology of Japanese adults, who read the new textbook for their leisure but do not want the book to be taught in schools for their children. Maybe it would not be too wrong to say that the Japanese grass roots still have the power to control the volume of nationalism.

The current new history textbook was supplemented and edited after the censorship by Japanese authorities; it was pointed to have as many as 137 false descriptions.

Thus even the people who have substantial knowledge on history sometimes have difficulties to find the subtle distorted part until they read carefully between the lines. To those people I recommend the book, `Thorough Criticism~`. This book is collaboration by 22 prominent Japanese historians. The book thoroughly analyzes and criticizes the `history of people` as many themes and categories that the original version of the `new history textbook` are acknowledged.

To read all three books, `The New History Book,` `History Of People,` and `Its Concise Edition For The Authorization,` is in fact necessary for one to understand the perspective of the `new history textbook.` These three books are all edited by `the writers of the new history textbook.` Moreover, the head of the group Nicio Kanji openly says that `The New History Textbook` succeeds the spirit of the `History Of People`, although it has been changed in order to pass the censorship.

It is not easy to read this book because of the great quantity of 800 pages of the `history of people` and its excessive sense of Japan`s superiority to Korea. It is this point when the book `Thorough Criticism` is most helpful. This book helps to grasp the core of the `historical controversies` between Korea and Japan and to develop the counter theory against it, because, it disputes the false historical view, distortion of the historical facts and political ideology with lucid logic and ample data.

When the `history of people` came out (the end of 1999), it did not attract any attention from Japanese historians and academic circle since the book was regarded as mere propaganda by the extreme right-wing conservatives. But scholars had to search for the counter-plan; because, ` the history of people` became a mega bestseller, sold 700 thousand in a month and was transformed to the `new history textbook`.

The `Thorough Criticism` is one of the fruit of these efforts by Japanese historians. Now it is time for Korean historians to produce critical academic works with a strong spirit of Korea. (Professor of Seoul National University. Department of Korean History)