Education and Nationalism

An impactful documentary delves into the revision of Japan's history within its classrooms. The film uncovers the government's systematic modifications (and erasure of historical facts) in Japanese textbooks and research, as revealed through candid testimonies from politicians, textbook writers, company employees, and teachers. In 1997, the inclusion of military comfort women in middle school history textbooks faced vehement opposition from right-wing politicians. The resulting backlash against a respected publisher led to its ultimate bankruptcy for daring to cover the lawsuit of a former Korean comfort woman named Hak-sun Kim and exposing the Japanese army's atrocities. Amid mounting political pressures, plans emerge to reshape historical terminology through the lens of the Japanese government's perspective.