I'm interested in seeing how the history of WWII is taught to kids in Japan. Are they honest or do they sugarcoat and rationalize things? I just worry that as time passes a lot rewriting will occur This is really two questions as I wonder the same thing about Germany.
History - 2 Answers
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1 :
There have been other questions on YA in the past on this same topic, at least in general terms. I think that the consensus, relative to teaching WW2 in Japanese schools, is that: - [1] After years of furious international controversy, Japanese high school textbooks have at last been modified to acknowledge some measure of Japanese responsibility / guilt for initiating hostilities in the Pacific in WW2, and for the atrocities committed by Japanese forces against civilians and POWs in both WW2 and in the immediately preceding war against China. But even now, Japanese textbooks avoid detail, and tend to gloss over their atrocious record. [2] Worse still, according to foreign teachers working in the Japanese schools system, when the modern textbooks are even so mildly critical of Japan's truly horrific record, many history teachers skim over the criticism in the textbook, and portray Japan as the victim, not the criminal. In a nutshell, Japan remains in denial about its role in China and WW2, and very little is being done to change that. And a big reason why this is still happening is American policy toward Japan immediately following WW2. Certainly a few prominent politicians and generals were executed as war criminals. But the governmental infrastructure, centred upon the mystique of the godlike Emperor, was left intact. Why? Because America decided that it wanted Japan as a bulwark against Communism --- and that the price to be paid was to forget all about WW2 as quickly as possible. ---- Germany is entirely different. There the school kids are taught about the evils of the Nazi regime, and are almost excruciatingly apologetic about Germany's responsibility for incinerating the world twice in the first half of the 20th century. ----- A few links below to get you started on the Japanese history-teaching controversy.
2 :
WW2 is basically tut the same way in japanese classes as in America. But, the only thing change is teachers in japan concentrate on japaneses heroes that made a impact in the japanese war. To celebrate and to honor those who contribute in WW2.
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