Since the end of World War II, the censorship of history textbooks in Japan has raised political and diplomatic issues. Recently, a social-studies textbook edited by a nationalist group again stirred controversy, offending the Chinese and South Koreans.
The textbook in question -- a history book for junior high schools -- was written under the direction of the Society to Write New History Textbooks, which has criticized the current social-studies text for presenting a "masochistic" view of history.
The original version of the new text rubbed nerves in China and South Korea. People there thought the book twisted historical facts, such as the annexation of Korea and the Nanjing Massacre, to suit Japan's convenience. Education Ministry censors recommended changes to 137 descriptions, and the publisher, Fusosha, accepted all of them.