How Modern Japan Is Described in Textbooks around the World

MPF has collected 17 textbooks on geography, history, world affairs and cultures used by junior and senior high schools in 16 countries. The countries selected are:

(Select a Country to review excerpts)

Europe ……………  Austria, France, Germany, Switzerland, UK
Asia ………………   China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore, Vietnam
North America ……  Mexico, USA
South America ……  Brazil


What we learned is that when studying Japan, each country focuses on those issues and topics that are of the greatest interest and concern to that particular country. With the exception of a few cases that showed an exceptionally internationally balanced view, local children learned about Japan as seen and interpreted through the country’s cultural lens.

Increasingly severe conflicts have recently arisen between China, Korea and Japan about the way Japan’s past invasions of other Asian countries are described in textbooks.

This is the reason it is critically important for us to learn the facts before arguing or making judgment. The ideal solution, after that, is to set up a joint committee to research and create a factual, yet mutually agreeable description of history. But it is a very challenging process.

While we pursue such a potential solution, MPF aims at developing new learning materials that can be commonly used by all children in the world to develop a globally balanced view.