Japan sees importance of making common history textbook with S. Korea, China

TOKYO, Oct. 7 (Yonhap) -- Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada said Wednesday
it is "ideal" for South Korea, China and Japan to write a history textbook based
on a common recognition of the history of the countries, a Japanese daily
reported,
"Ideally in the future, we need to have a common history textbook for (Japan,
China and South Korea)," Okada was quoted by the Sankei Shimbun as saying during
his lecture at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan.
"As a first step toward the publication of the common textbook, the three
countries are to implement a joint study of the history," Okada also said.
It is the first time a Japanese government official has mentioned the necessity
of publishing such a history textbook as a way to resolve issues surrounding
Japanese history textbooks that critics say justify and beautify Japan's
imperialist past.
Japanese textbooks have drawn international criticism -- chiefly from South Korea
and China -- for allegedly playing down Japan's wartime atrocities and glorifying
its participation in World War II.
Okada's remarks came ahead of Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's summit
talks with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak in Seoul on Friday and a
trilateral summit meeting involving the leaders of the three Northeast Asian
countries in Beijing the next day.
The Japanese minister also stressed the importance of his government's pledge to
support a 1995 statement by then Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama stating Japan
inflicted tremendous damage and suffering on Asian and other countries "through
its colonial rule and aggression."
"But, in the past, some ministers made remarks that would run counter to the
spirit of the Murayama pledge," Okada said, adding he will make efforts to ensure
there will be no such remarks (from government officials).
(END)