Okinawans expand protest against textbook changes

[JUNewsBot]

JUNewsBot Has Just Posted the Following:

The government’s decision to change historical accounts of the Battle of Okinawa in school textbooks to be published before next Spring continues to meet aggressive resistance from Okinawans.The changes, which remove statements about Imperial Japanese Army soldiers telling Okinawans to commit suicide rather than surrender to Americans in 1945, are hotly contested by Okinawans.

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Feel free to hold a discussion regarding this article here.

[socalheart]

I hope the Okinawans are able to convince the government to keep the parts about the forced suicides on Okinawa. Honestly, I don't recall seeing that part in my US history books about the war or battle either. My father had the Battle of Okinawa book, which I read as a kid, and then there are always the ghost stories.

[dk]

I completely agree. Covering up history to save face is a pretty shady thing to do.

[GODZIBOY]

History should not be changed because they dont like the outcome of the truth

[DougP]

The battle of okinawa was not viewed as a huge turning point in the war on the US side. Hence no real information on the battle in US history books. I would think though it would be covered extensively here in okinawa much like US civil war is covered extensively in the US. Its one thing to have your history books whitewashed of bad events that happened abroad but to have your own country hide the history as it happened in your own back yard is a whole other story. And yes this happens everywhere in the world. So don't believe everything you read and don't believe everything you're taught or see on the news. ;)

[Fonze]

i agree its not covered in the history books and probably should, but on the history channel, military channel and otrher educational channels it is highlighted strongly as the turning point before the bomb. I hope the okinawan people do get justice on this issue

[Muku]

i agree its not covered in the history books and probably should, but on the history channel, military channel and otrher educational channels it is highlighted strongly as the turning point before the bomb. I hope the okinawan people do get justice on this issue
Unfortunately the history channel is not available here, for those not adjoined at the hip to the bases that is.

[dk]

Unfortunately the history channel is not available here, for those not adjoined at the hip to the bases that is.
I've got the history channel on sky perfect.

[silviasichigo]

Actually it is but you have to buy Sky perfect or maybe OCN cable has it too

[P_chan]

The battle of okinawa was not viewed as a huge turning point in the war on the US side. Hence no real information on the battle in US history books. I would think though it would be covered extensively here in okinawa much like US civil war is covered extensively in the US. Its one thing to have your history books whitewashed of bad events that happened abroad but to have your own country hide the history as it happened in your own back yard is a whole other story. And yes this happens everywhere in the world. So don't believe everything you read and don't believe everything you're taught or see on the news. ;)

Exactly I think they should have more coverage on the war on okinawa in US textbooks. I really didn't even know it happened until right before I got to this island and I saw a documentary on the history channel before I got here.

I miss the history channel:(

[silviasichigo]

OK DK using your admin power to make me second...........I got my eyes on you buddy..... :P

[Muku]

I've got the history channel on sky perfect.
Thank you for sharing that I wasnt aware that sky perfect had that.

[dk]

OK DK using your admin power to make me second...........I got my eyes on you buddy..... :P
It's not my admin powers! It's my 70wpm typing speed! lmao

[silviasichigo]

It's not my admin powers! It's my 70wpm typing speed! lmao
:( I can only fat finger 30 WPM

[socalheart]

I wish we had the History channel. We're military, but live off base. We have the AFN satellite, which is limited, but better than nothing.

I do recall seeing a few History channel shows that mentioned the battles on Okinawa during WWII, but mostly only mentioned death tolls and strategies. I'd be interested in seeing a piece done on just the battles on Okinawa, like they did with the battles on Iwo Jima.

[DougP]

I wish we had the History channel. We're military, but live off base. We have the AFN satellite, which is limited, but better than nothing.

I do recall seeing a few History channel shows that mentioned the battles on Okinawa during WWII, but mostly only mentioned death tolls and strategies. I'd be interested in seeing a piece done on just the battles on Okinawa, like they did with the battles on Iwo Jima.

There was a Japanese movie done about it. Called Gekido no showashi/ Okinawa Kessen, 1971. Good luck getting a copy with english subs though.
It not only provides a look at the war from the Japanese military's point of view but also the struggle of the okinawans.

[socalheart]

Good luck getting a copy with english subs though.


That's right... taunt the pregnant woman. :cursing: It's a good thing I wasn't looking for food. :D

I'll have the husband look for it online. He's pretty resourceful about things like that. Thanks for the info!

[ness4k]

Histroy is exactly that. HISTORY!!! Honestly if they want to take something out of the book it doesn't mean they are taking it out of history. That would be impossible. Just because it's not in the book anymore doesn't mean it didn't happen. Now if someone tried to published a US history book that said the South won the Civil War alot of people would get pissed...I wouldn't I'm from GA!!! Didn't situtaion there though? Nevermind!

[Muku]

Histroy is exactly that. HISTORY!!! Honestly if they want to take something out of the book it doesn't mean they are taking it out of history. That would be impossible. Just because it's not in the book anymore doesn't mean it didn't happen.
However depending on the persons or the country's point of view history can be changed and rewritten to say just about anything.

The longer time goes by less and less people will remember what exactly happened and then yes quite literally the perception of history will be changed from fact to fiction.

Not everyone views the history of WWII the same as people in the US.

[P_chan]

Histroy is exactly that. HISTORY!!! Honestly if they want to take something out of the book it doesn't mean they are taking it out of history. That would be impossible. Just because it's not in the book anymore doesn't mean it didn't happen. Now if someone tried to published a US history book that said the South won the Civil War alot of people would get pissed...I wouldn't I'm from GA!!! Didn't situtaion there though? Nevermind!

Yeah but I didn't know the battle of okinawan happened until I did some research on okinawa before I came here. Thats because all of my history classes left it out of the history book.

[socalheart]

Histroy is exactly that. HISTORY!!! Honestly if they want to take something out of the book it doesn't mean they are taking it out of history. That would be impossible. Just because it's not in the book anymore doesn't mean it didn't happen. Now if someone tried to published a US history book that said the South won the Civil War alot of people would get pissed...I wouldn't I'm from GA!!! Didn't situtaion there though? Nevermind!

Using your example about the USA/CSA Civil War, those from the USA would be just as upset about history books stating that the CSA won the war as the Okinawans are about the the Japanese military forcing many of them to commit suicide as the battle on Okinawa came to an end. There are no survivors from the Civil War alive these days to tell the truth of the war. Therefore, if the history were not committed to books, for example, it would become distorted or lost. To bring it down to a personal level, how far back in your geneaology are you able to trace your ancestors? If your geneaology isn't written somewhere, it's more difficult to confirm it. The history of the world is much the same.

[Bones]

I, for one, hope the Okinawans win this battle. With all of the things the poor people of this little island have had to endure, Japan's refusal to accept responsibility for atrocities committed against the Okinawans during WWII, and to then try to change history by omitting certain historical facts from their History books, is unthinkable. :mad:

While one poster attempted to compare this issue with our Civil War, between the North, and the South, I believe a better analogy would have been the Germans trying to convince the world that the Jewish Holocaust did not happen.

Just my 2 yen worth.

NBTP

[socalheart]

While one poster attempted to compare this issue with our Civil War, between the North, and the South, I believe a better analogy would have been the Germans trying to convince the world that the Jewish Holocaust did not happen.

In the same respect, it can also be compared to the internment of Japanese Americans in the US during WWII, or on a much smaller scope to any major battle, like the Alamo; which will always be remembered due to historical accounts both written and aural. There were also a stories from native American Indians that are only known through aural stories. These weren't written down until their written languages were created to do so. It's sad to think how many wonderful historical accounts were lost over the generations.

[DoctorP]

There is no way that the government should be allowed to do this. This is typical Japanese thinking. If it is not in print, then it didn't happen, and we do not need to feel guilty for anything! I for one hope that they are not successful in rewriting history!