일본 고교 역사교과목 개편과 강제동원일본군‘위안부’ 서술 －2021년 검정 통과 『역사총합』의 관련 기술 동향과 향후 전망

Abstract

A big change occurred to history education at Japanese high schools in 2021. With the announcement of the high school textbook screening results at the end of March, details of the new mandatory subject called “Integrated History” was disclosed. There are mixed opinions in Japan about this subject, learning about interactions between the world and Japan in modern and contemporary history. Such opinions include a relatively positive perspective focused on ‘expectations and possibilities’ and expression of ‘riskiness and concerns.’ For the description of forced mobilization in Integrated History, the textbook by Daiichi Gakushusha added the fact that laborers of Joseon were forcibly mobilized to the main headquarters in Matsushiro, but other textbooks either deleted (Meiseisha) or abridged (Shimizu Shoin and Jikkyo Shuppan) this topic. Most textbooks, except Yamakawa Shuppansha, abridged or deleted the description of comfort women. The three kinds of Integrated History published by Yamakawa Shuppansha, which describe the fact that the Japanese military was the main body that installed comfort stations and how comfort women were mobilized forcibly, accounted for 41.7% of textbooks adopted in 2021 and attracted attention from Korean press media. On the one hand, the Japanese government made a cabinet decision on April 27, 2021, after announcing the screening results, that “It is inappropriate to use terms like ‘wartime comfort women’ and ‘being moved forcibly’” This decision can be seen as an attempt to cut off the relationship between comfort women and the Japanese military and government and to dilute the illegality of mobilization of the Joseon people. Afterward, under the oppression of the Japanese government to make corrections, seven publishers requested and obtained approval for the correction of descriptions in 39 high school geography, history, and social science textbooks and two middle school social science textbooks. Details of the correction requested by publishers varied slightly, showing how textbook companies tried to resist to some degree. While the Japanese government unjustly continues to oppress authorized textbooks to correct their terms according to the government’s view, textbook authors and publishers struggle to faithfully reflect the academic outcomes within the framework of the textbook screening system. Paying attention to their activities and working for solidarity would be the means to enhance the awareness of students through adequate classroom practice and faithful content of textbooks related to forced mobilization and comfort women.