Siegfried Ramler sends us this from Hawaii:
"The recent skirmish over the approval and distribution of a Japanese school text, claiming that it whitewashes and omits Japanese acts and motivations leading up to and during World War II, is only the latest in a series of objections directed at the Japanese ministry of education to a sanitizing of Japanese history. While the current protests are raised by Korea , similar objections directed at the Japanese government have come frequently from China and from other Asian countries during the post-war period.
It helps to view this matter in perspective, recognizing that the Japanese ministry of education, the "mombusho", represents a traditionally conservative point of view on textbook issues, shared by nationalistic factions of the government. These factions are reluctant to face up fully to Japan's role and transgressions during the pre-war and wartime militaristic regime, and are particularly averse to presenting an unfavorable historical image to Japanese youth. This is in contrast to German educational policy, where school children are fully exposed to the study of crimes committed during the Nazi era and are routinely taken to view holocaust memorials.
The reason for this contrast lies in the differing circumstances in Germany and Japan under which World War II ended. Germany, in rising from the ashes after almost total destruction, found it natural and necessary to totally repudiate its Nazi past. There are only fringe exceptions to this repudiation. Japan, though it also replaced autocracy by a democratic constitution and a pluralistic government after the war ended, was spared total destruction and carried over to the post-war period its deep historical and cultural roots which are strongly linked to national pride. However, on the textbook matter, as on other domestic and international issues, it is important to stress that Japan as a democratic nation does not speak with a single voice and expresses a variety of views.
There is a broader and more fundamental aspect to this issue, calling for an exploration of the process of teaching history and of the use of texts and other instructional resources. Just as the atlas projects geographical entities from various perspectives, placing the nation to be focused into the center, and thus causing an intentional distortion, the same can be true of the teaching of history. Typically, the secondary curriculum in the United States offers courses labeled U.S. History, European History, Asian History, etc. Similarly, other nations offer nationally or regionally focused courses. A more balanced and global approach to the teaching of history would be the offering of a series of courses under the heading of world history , recognizing the interconnectedness of events affecting mankind and placing events happening in the home country into a global perspective. Yet nations and cultures provide individuals with their primary sense of belonging which tends to be reflected in the spirit and content of teaching. I would argue that there need be no conflict between a balanced approach to the teaching of history and a sense of loyalty and belonging to one's home country.
Another approach, more challenging for the teacher of history but arguably more effective and rewarding for the student, would be to do away with the textbook by a single author and replace it with a variety of materials, such as documents from primary sources, readings on the period under study from various perspectives, newspaper articles, and commentary from various countries. An example of such an approach , practiced in many schools and universities, might be the teaching and discussion of the U.S. involvement in Vietnam, still a sensitive issue open to various interpretations. The modern history of Japan, whether taught inside Japan or in another country, might be treated in the same manner, allowing the student to arrive at a perspective and understanding based on authentic and balanced information and analysis.
Of course, even this approach raises the question whether the teacher, in the selection of the materials, will be totally unbiased. Finally, whether in Japan or elsewhere, the issue comes down to the integrity of the teaching process in classrooms and to the spirit and content of teaching. An open, unbiased and humanistic approach to the teaching of history throughout the world , though impossible to legislate, is certainly a desirable and necessary goal.
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