Japanese Textbooks Claim "Dokdo is Japanese Territory"... Reference to "Forced Mobilization" Also Removed

The Japanese high school textbook, for which approval was requested from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology with the aim of being used in frontline schools next year, labels Dokdo, Korean territory, as "Takeshima" (竹島, the name claimed by Japan).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] Starting next year, expressions such as 'forced mobilization' of Koreans during the Japanese colonial period and 'Japanese military comfort women' have been removed from textbooks used by Japanese high school students in their second year and above during the government's screening process. Additionally, all 12 social studies textbooks, excluding history, contain content stating that Dokdo is Japan's inherent territory.

This measure appears to be a follow-up to the decision made at the Japanese Cabinet meeting in April last year, which determined that the term 'military comfort women' was inappropriate and that the mobilization of Korean laborers by Japan should be referred to as 'conscription' rather than 'forced mobilization.'

On the afternoon of the 29th, Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology announced at the textbook screening committee meeting that 239 textbooks for high school students in their second year and above, to be used from next year, had passed the screening.

However, it is known that all 12 social studies textbooks excluding history?such as Comprehensive Geography (1 type), Geography Inquiry (3 types), Maps (1 type), Civics (1 type), and Politics and Economics (6 types)?include descriptions stating that Dokdo is "Japan's (our country's) inherent territory." This follows the 2014 revision of the Course of Study commentary by the Japanese government, which mandated that social studies textbooks excluding history include content asserting Dokdo as Japan's inherent territory.

Initially, the Comprehensive Geography textbook by Daikoku Shoin described that "in 1905, the Meiji government incorporated (Dokdo) into Shimane Prefecture according to international law and officially declared it as its own territory." However, Japanese authorities pointed out that this expression could cause misunderstanding among students, leading to a revision stating that Dokdo is "Japan's inherent territory belonging to Okinoshima Town, Shimane Prefecture," and that "in 1905, the Meiji government declared the ownership of Takeshima (the name Japan claims for Dokdo) domestically and internationally, incorporating it into Shimane Prefecture according to international law."

Furthermore, eight textbooks contain content stating that Korea is "illegally occupying" Dokdo, and three textbooks include expressions such as "occupied by Korea" or "Korea unilaterally claims it as its own territory."

Shimizu Academy's high school Japanese history exploration textbook submitted to the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology includes the explanation "The procurement of comfort women was also carried out" (red rectangle). In Japanese, "choutatsu" means "to gather or send all necessary goods or money," and it is commonly used for objects.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Historical distortion was also carried out. Among the 14 history textbooks that passed the screening (7 Japanese history inquiry and 7 world history inquiry), some textbooks revised the expression from 'forced mobilization' at the time of application to 'mobilization' or 'conscription.'

Initially, Jitsukyo Publishing's Japanese History Inquiry stated, "The mobilization of Koreans to Japan began in 1939 in the form of recruitment, and from 1942, forced mobilization by official mediation started," and "after the revision and promulgation of the National Mobilization Order in 1944, forced mobilization was expanded to supplement labor shortages, reaching about 800,000 people." However, during the screening process, the term 'forced mobilization' was changed entirely to 'mobilization.'

Daikoku Shoin's World History Inquiry also changed the content from "(During the Pacific War) workers were forcibly taken from Korea and China to supplement labor shortages in mainland Japan" to "were conscripted/mobilized."

Regarding Japanese military comfort women, Jitsukyo Publishing's Japanese History Inquiry originally included the phrase "many women became Japanese military comfort women," but 'Japanese military comfort women' was replaced with 'comfort women.' Tokyo Shoseki's Politics and Economics textbook added a note about the Kono Statement, stating that "in 2021, the Cabinet decided that it is appropriate to use the term 'comfort women' rather than 'military comfort women,'" before passing the screening.

All these content changes were made by publishers to pass the screening after being pointed out that the descriptions were "not based on the government's unified view" during the screening process.

In response, the South Korean government expressed strong protest and deep regret through a Foreign Ministry spokesperson's statement, saying, "We strongly protest the Japanese government's approval of textbooks containing absurd claims about Dokdo, which is clearly our inherent territory historically, geographically, and under international law." The Ministry of Education also expressed regret and lodged a protest through a spokesperson's statement, saying, "We regret the approval of textbooks that clearly distort history."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.