The approval Tuesday of a controversial history textbook will probably prompt a new wave of criticism from China and South Korea, where concerns have already been voiced over the original draft.
The Foreign Ministry, however, is trying to keep the issue low profile and continue diplomatic efforts to strengthen ties with the two countries, both of which have recently been working to improve relations with Japan.
"We are worried that China and South Korea will voice criticism no matter what the final version of the textbook says," one official said, noting that the disputed book was written by a group of nationalistic historians.