Japanese History Textbook Controversies, 1995–2010: Transnational Activism versus Neo‐nationalist Movement1. (August 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ku, Yangmo
• Is Part Of: Pacific focus. Volume 29:Number 2(2014:Aug.)
• Page Start: 260
• Page End: 283
• Publication Date: 2014-08
• Subjects: East Asia -- Foreign relations -- Periodicals; Pacific Area -- Foreign relations -- Periodicals; 327.59
• DOI: 10.1111/pafo.12030
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1225-4657

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>How and to what extent did both transnational activist networks and Japanese conservative forces affect Japanese historical narrative and textbook policy during the period of 1995–2010? Addressing this question, this article first establishes the concepts of Type I and II transnational activism regarding history textbooks. The article argues that starting in the late 1990s, a positive trend of Japanese historical narrative and textbook policy was reversed by a systematic conservative campaign, despite the presence of strong Type I and II transnational activism. Nevertheless, Type I transnational activism – pushing for a perpetrator state to change its policy – played a pivotal role in lowering the adoption rate of Japan's nationalistic history textbooks at the local level, although not reversing the conservative direction of Japan's historical narrative and textbook policy at the state level. In the long run, with vibrant Type I transnational activism it would be necessary to strengthen Type II transnational activism – textbook cooperation and historians' dialogue – in order to resolve the issue of biased Japanese historical textbooks.</p> </abstract>