Territorial Education

Every textbook on social study for elementary school will describe about Senkaku and Takeshima starting next spring. Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, or MEXT, announced the result of its examination on textbook, in which all textbooks taught those disputed islands to be Japan’s territory. Behind there was conservative agenda of Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, who liked soaring nationalism inside the public. Publishers could not stop complimenting.

Although governmental course of study requires only touching on the Northern Territory, on that Japan and Russia has been negotiating, in elementary school, most textbooks submitted to the examination was teaching about the territorial issue on Senkaku and Takeshima. Some referred to Senkaku and Takeshima as Japan’s inherited territory. The government cut off a description about Senkaku, which introduced governmental effort to solve, because it indicated “existence” of problem on Senkaku.

General reason was broad discussion in Japan over territorial issues with neighbor countries. It cannot be ignored that kids are more aware of territorial issues through news reports. Whether or not Abe is posing pressure to learn it, the issue would be discussed in classrooms. Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, told in his press conference that it was natural for the publishers to write actual facts.

It also was natural, however, for the Chinese and Koreans to oppose it. “We have consistently been requiring Japan to face history with sincerity and educate their children with appropriate historiography,” told a Chinese official in Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Spokesman of Ministry of Foreign Affairs in South Korea more harshly denounced Japan. “It is an education to distort and conceal their history of robbery with imperialism,” said he.

However, some teachers are wondering how to teach an issue still on disputes. They teach comprehensive history of modern age at the end term of elementary school, which is the winter of sixth grade. Learning solely about territorial issues before it will confuse students. One professor recommended teaching territorial issues through a viewpoint of how borders were historically drawn in other countries, if it would be done to elementary students.

Abe insists on promoting his policy of planting patriotism on the nation. But his patriotism is having pride on Japan with as few regret on history as possible. Patriotism without historical basis is isolated admiration of oneself, or grotesque narcissism. One cannot proud of such a kind of country.