Japan to teach territorial claims in schools

Jan 28, 4:27 AM EST Japan to teach territorial claims in schools By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press

AP Photo World Video Multimedia Archery on horseback still draws crowd Ainu Rebels reclaim cultural pride Japanese defend whaling tradition Japan deals with 'Minimata Disease' Latest News Japan to teach territorial claims in schools Japan posts record $112B trade deficit in 2013 Japan NHK boss under fire for comfort women remark Police arrest man in Japan tainted food scandal India, Japan to cooperate in energy, telecoms Buy AP Photo Reprints TOKYO (AP) -- The Japanese government announced Tuesday it is revising official teaching manuals to emphasize Japan's territorial rights to islands that are also claimed by China and South Korea. The Education Ministry said the decision was made to reflect the government's official view on the territorial claims. The revision is seen as part of education reform by conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to instill patriotism and nationalism. "Naturally, we must teach our own territory accurately to our children," Education Minister Hakubun Shimomura told reporters. The announcement drew angry reactions from Beijing and Seoul. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying reiterated the country's claim to the islands, urging Tokyo to "stop provocations" and take steps to improve relations. South Korea's Foreign Ministry denounced the changes and demanded their withdrawal, with spokesman Cho Tai-young saying Japan "must not teach false history to the young generation and plant enmity and seeds of conflict with its neighbors." Even though use of the manuals is not legally binding, the policy change will affect the contents of future textbooks, which need to be screened by the government. The revision affects ministry-issued teaching manuals for junior high and high school social studies classes, effective immediately. Ministry officials say the manuals currently in use do not mention the Japanese-claimed East China Sea islands, which are also claimed by China, and that the reference to Japanese-claimed islands held by South Korea in the Japan Sea is too soft. The textbooks and manuals already mention Japan's territorial claim over Russian-controlled northern islands. With the revisions, teachers are asked to mention that the islands are "integral territories of Japan." The islands are flashpoints in Japan's diplomatic relations with China and South Korea. The East China Sea islands are called Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan, while those in the Sea of Japan are called Dokdo in Korean and Takeshima in Japanese. Separately, the Education Ministry earlier this month adopted a textbook screening policy that would require writers to reflect the government's official position on contentious issues in modern history to "balance out" references to Japan's wartime aggression, including the forced use of sex slaves for Japanese troops and the Nanking massacre, in which an estimated 300,000 Chinese citizens were killed by Japanese forces. As Japan steps up its territorial claims under Abe's government, the Cabinet Secretariat recently launched a special website designed to increase domestic awareness and support for the claims. --- Associated Press news assistant Zhao Liang in Beijing contributed to this report.     KawamotoDragon.com

Business Japan economy figures worse than expected Figures show economy remained mired in recession during final quarter of 2012, after weak demand at home and overseas. Last Modified: 14 Feb 2013 08:36 inShare0 Email Print Share Feedback Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, right, has pursued a policy of aggressive spending and monetary stimulus [AFP] Japan's economy remained mired in recession late last year, shrinking 0.4 percent in annualised terms for the third straight quarter of contraction, following weak demand both at home and overseas. Yoshihide Suga, chief government spokesperson, acknowledged the lingering weakness in the economy, while voicing optimism over a global recovery. "We also expect our nation's economy to make a gradual recovery," he said. Many analysts had forecast the economy would emerge from recession in the final quarter of 2012 as the Japanese yen weakened against other major currencies, giving a boost to Japanese export manufacturers. "Over all the rebound in consumer confidence is consistent with other surveys showing that business conditions picked up strongly at the start of the year." - Julian Jessop, Capital Economics economist Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took office in late December with a platform of aggressive spending and monetary stimulus to help get growth back on track. He has lobbied the central bank to set an inflation target of 2 percent, aimed at breaking Japan out of its long bout of deflation, or falling prices, that he says are inhibiting corporate investment and growth. The Bank of Japan left monetary policy unchanged following a two-day meeting that ended on Thursday, noting in a statement that "Japan's economy appears to have stopped weakening." Government spending, housing investment and private consumption appear to be picking up, it said. For the time being, inflation is likely to remain flat since prices are unlikely to increase following last year's jumps in costs for energy and consumer durable goods, the central bank said. Masaaki Shirakawa, the bank's governor, is due to step down on March 19 and Abe is expected to appoint as his successor an expert who favours the prime minister's more activist approach to monetary policy. Consumer confidence Despite the dismal data for last year, many in Japan expect at least a temporary bump to growth from high government spending on public works and other programmes. An index measuring consumer confidence, released earlier this week, jumped to its highest level since 2007, the biggest ever increase in a single month. "Overall the rebound in consumer confidence is consistent with other surveys showing that business conditions picked up strongly at the start of the year," Julian Jessop, an economist at Capital Economics in London, said. "Whether this optimism proves to be justified is another matter, but at least sentiment is clearly improving." Earlier this week, Abe appealed to businesses to raise wages to help boost domestic demand and carry on momentum from government spending. Data for the fourth quarter showed that private consumption, which accounts for more than two-thirds of economic activity, rose 0.4 percent in the fourth quarter, while housing investment climbed 3.5 percent. Investment by businesses, however, fell 2.6 percent and exports dropped 3.7 percent. 'Bubble economy' Japan's growth has stagnated since its "bubble economy" burst in the early 1990s, despite massive investments in public works that have pushed its national debt to the highest level among major industrial nations, at more than twice the size of the economy. The Japanese yen, whose value was long pushed higher against other currencies due to its status as a "safe haven" for investors, has weakened by about 20 percent since October. Though the government has not directly intervened to bring the yen's value lower, its policies have convinced many in the markets that more money will be created, undermining the currency's value. This has raised concern over the potential for competitive devaluations of other currencies that could undermine growth. 629

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