Okinawa anger at textbook plans

[frigidmagi]

BBC

The Japanese island of Okinawa has reacted furiously to government plans to revise textbook accounts of army activities during World War II.

Okinawa politicians are protesting against a decision to tone down reports that the army ordered civilians to commit mass suicide at the war's end.

Okinawa was the scene of one of the war's bloodiest battles.

Some conservatives in Japan have in recent years questioned accounts of the country's brutal wartime past.


It is an undeniable fact that mass suicides could not have occurred without the involvement of the Japanese military
Okinawa assembly

Only this week, a group of MPs from the right-wing ruling party claimed China had exaggerated the number of people killed by Japanese troops in Nanjing in 1937.

And Prime Minister Shinzo Abe drew condemnation abroad earlier this year after he questioned whether there was any proof that Japan's military coerced women to work as sex slaves during the war.

'Important issue'

Many Okinawa civilians, including entire families, committed suicide rather than surrender to US forces after the 1945 Battle of Okinawa that left more than 200,000 dead.

Eyewitness accounts and historical research say government propaganda led civilians to believe they would face terrible atrocities if they were captured by US forces.

Japanese troops were reported to have handed out grenades to residents and ordered them to kill themselves rather than surrender to US soldiers.

The education ministry ordered publishers last March to make changes to several textbooks, which must then go before a government-appointed panel for approval.

Okinawa's local assembly unanimously approved a statement on Friday criticising the move.

"It is an undeniable fact that mass suicides could not have occurred without the involvement of the Japanese military," the assembly said.

The politicians called on the government to "retract its instruction... so the truth of the Battle of Okinawa will be correctly conveyed and such a tragic war will never happen again".

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki was quoted by the Associated Press as saying the education ministry would take "appropriate measures" in line with process.

"We understand this is an extremely important issue for the people of Okinawa," he said.

[Mayabird]

Code: Conservative Japanese politicians claim that atrocities were exaggerated, things weren't that evil, etc.
Translation: WE WILL ADMIT TO NO WRONG! NEVAAAAAA!

As a half-Japanese, still dual citizen for four more months, I say, fuck all of them. You can try to whitewash the history textbooks (or just coincidentally never get past 1920 or so) but my grandmother still remembers how crazy everyone was and how she learned to make bamboo spears and then waited for the American occupation to rape and murder her, as told by the propaganda.

They're like fucking Confederate apologists, only with people who still damn well remember it.

[Batman]

I wonder what would happen if German politicians tried something like that.
I mean I know what would happen internally, in all likelihood, but I'd be interested to see the international reaction to such an attempt.
Needless to say, this is disgusting.

[frigidmagi]

I wonder what would happen if German politicians tried something like that.

Well to be fair Germany had two superpowers who did their best to ensure that Germany would never be a threat to them again. To be honest occupication policy as it was applied was light handed compared to the various plans suggested by FDR's advisor's. Yeesh some of those were hair raising.

Japan on the other hand got off lightly. The US was pretty much able to treat it has a protectorate and do what it damn well pleased and after Korea we damn well pleased to make sure Japan was able of resisting any attempts by the Soviets at subversion. We kept them pretty much disarmed on a offensive level because... Well... Why take chances?

Needless to say, this is disgusting.

I do have agree with that.