4. Japan - Revising the past

Available for over a year

Japan's 20th century Imperial past and war in South East Asia has often been a fault line at home and abroad. Within Japan itself, the American occupation left a confusing legacy of freedom from direct government interference as to what should be told in the history textbook and a system of opaque censorship. Internal disputes over textbook accounts of the war and their possible distortions, provoked diplomatic rows with China and South Korea over the legacy of the past and Japanese contrition. Priya Atwal explores the global pitfalls in telling textbook national history. Producer: Mark Burman First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2020.