New Japan textbooks say Korea `unilaterally` occupying islets

New high school textbooks in Japan containing distorted information suggesting that Korea is unilaterally occupying the Dokdo islets have passed this year’s review. The textbooks also newly include Tokyo’s bid to refer what it calls a terrestrial dispute to the U.N. Security Council and the International Court of Justice as proposed after then Korean President Lee Myung-bak’s visit to Dokdo in August last year.

In a meeting of its review committee on textbook inspection and approval Tuesday, the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology announced these and other results to the public.

In December 2009, Japan revised a teaching guidebook suggesting that “accurately addressing terrestrial issues in line with the Japanese government that ‘though Takeshima (the Japanese name for Dokdo) and the Northern Territory are in terrestrial dispute, there is no terrestrial dispute over the Senkaku Islands (called Diaoyu in China).’” The textbooks submitted for review this time have been revised in line with that guidebook.

The parts describing past history remain largely the same. Contents on sex slaves, better known as comfort women by the Japanese military, are encompassed in nine of the 12 textbooks, including those on Japanese and world history.

A Japanese history textbook published by Jikkio Publishing, a progressive publisher, includes the Kono Statement, which admitted to forced mobilization of the sex slaves, and a recommendation by the U.N. Human Rights Commission.

A Korean government source said, “Since the textbooks that passed review this year do not include those published by ultra-right publishers such as Fusosha or Jiyusha, improvements made in certain parts of history are noticeable.” A new world history textbook published by Yamakawa Publishing has the expression "forced commandeering (of Koreans)" deleted from the previous version.

Review of the textbooks approved Tuesday was conducted from April to December last year under the previous Yoshihiko Noda government. From next year, textbooks will be reviewed by the right-leaning Shinzo Abe government.

Another Korean government source said, “Japan’s Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry has claimed a clear position on the Dokdo islets since last year. Going forward, Japan will get more aggressive in its territorial claims and history distortions." “Next year, reviews of elementary school textbooks will be conducted but right-wing movements will not be noticeable.”

lovesong@donga.com