Politics, Memory and Public Opinion: The History Textbook Controversy and Japanese SocietyThis volume explores the political and social backgrounds of the ongoing history textbook controversy in Japan. In chapter 1, the resurgence since the 1990s of the conservative interpretation of history known as historical revisionism, which aims to support history education in schools that serves the strengthening of national pride, is identified as the major reason for the renewed debate. The remainder of the chapter traces the diverse connections of historical revisionism with Japanese domestic politics. Chapter 2 demonstrates that, as a consequence of this strong connection between revisionism and politics, the views of Japan's recent history underlying the "culture of memory" as it is manifested in the public sphere-in memorials, museums and ceremonies-are increasingly similar to those advocated by historical revisionism. This is particularly true regarding the interpretation of the Asia-Pacific War (1931-1945), which here is often depicted as a defensive war or as a war waged for the "liberation" of Asia, following the affirmative view of the war urged by revisionists. But however forcefully expressed, these views fall short of reflecting a consensus on history in Japanese society at large. In chapter 3, a number of opinion surveys inquiring into the "historical consciousness" of the Japanese are analyzed. The results of these surveys indicate that revisionist views face an uphill battle in Japanese society and rather have to be considered a minority view at present. The explosive character of the history textbook controversy above all reflects the discrepancy between the historical views of the political class and those promoted in the public sphere on the one hand and those predominant in the wider society on the other. The anticipated next round of the history textbook debate, in the 60th anniversary year of the end of the war, will not be adequately understood without sufficient knowledge of the backgrounds to the debate and the issues related to it. |
Contents
Foreword by the Director | 7 |
HISTORICAL REVISIONISM IN CONTEMPORARY JAPAN | 23 |
HISTORICAL REVISIONISM AND THE POLITICS OF MEMORY | 90 |
Copyright | |
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Politics, Memory and Public Opinion: The History Textbook Controversy and ... Sven Saaler No preview available - 2006 |
Common terms and phrases
academic history affirmative views aggression Asahi Shinbun Asia-Pacific Asia-Pacific War Asian Asian liberation Assmann chapter Chidorigafuchi China citizens claim commemoration Committee conservative critical East Asia exhibition German Greater East Asian historians historical consciousness historical narrative historical revisionism history education history textbook IMTFE institution Internet ISBN issues Japan Japan's wartime past Japanese history Japanese politics Japanese society Jinja junior high schools Kang Kentō linkai 1995 Kobayashi Kokumin Korea Kyōiku Kyōkasho Kyōto last accessed Makita Meiji military Monbushō Murayama museums Nanjing massacre nation-state Nihon Nishio Obinata official Oguma patriotism peace politicians popular postwar Japan prefecture Prime Minister public sphere question recent Rekishi Kentō linkai responsibility revision role Ryōma Sakamoto Ryōma selection boards sensō Shiba shikan Shinsengumi Shintō survey Sven Saaler Takahashi 2003 Tanaka Tawara textbook controversy tion Tōkyō Tsukuru-kai Tsukuru-kai textbooks victims view of history war of aggression wars Yasukuni Jinja Yasukuni Shrine Yoshida