Japanese junior high-school history textbooks, particularly one compiled by a group of nationalist historians, continue to draw angry reactions from South Korea and China. On Monday, the Education Ministry formally rejected almost all of the revision requests from Seoul and Beijing, which claim that the textbooks distort historical facts about Japan's militaristic past.
The ministry admitted only a couple of errors concerning ancient Korean history. But it left intact some 40 items on which revision had been requested -- all items relating to Japanese activities before and during World War II. The ministry said these descriptions in dispute reflect historians' different theories and interpretations and do not represent any "clear mistakes" that are subject to correction.
At the center of the controversy is the textbook edited under the direction of the Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform. It was approved in April following an extensive revision recommended by the censors. Given the current censorship rules, the ministry probably has no choice but to reject South Korean and Chinese demands. The "no change" decision is based on studies conducted by a panel of experts under the textbook screening system.