Kenshin001
Member
OSAKA--A museum famed for its many exhibits showing Japanese aggression during World War II has removed them, bowing to pressure from conservative politicians.
We had no choice but to remove the exhibition on the aggression to ensure the survival of the museum, a source close to the museum explained.
Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto had threatened to close down the Osaka International Peace Center museum when he was governor of the prefecture.
Hashimoto's successor as Osaka governor and a close ally, Ichiro Matsui, praised the facelift when he toured the museum in the citys Chuo Ward on April 30, the day the facility reopened after renovations.
This looks better now, Matsui told reporters. I believe exhibits should not represent the view of one side when there are diverse perceptions (on the war).
Among the dozens of exhibits removed were panels on Japans invasion of the continent, the colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, suffering in Southeast Asian countries due to Japanese aggression, text describing the 1937 Nanjing Massacre and abuse of prisoners of war, and photos showing piles of dead bodies and civilians being buried alive.
Instead, the museum now houses an expanded section on U.S. air raids in Osaka Prefecture between December 1944 and August 1945 and shows a 14-minute war-related video in which Japan is not labeled an aggressor.
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201505010073
Not exactly shocking news to those familiar with Japan but thought I'd post it as I didn't see it on regular news sites and thought it could do with some attention. Given Abe is currently in the US and Tokyo is hosting the Olympics seems a good time people start making some noise about Japan's avoidance of facing up to its past and the revolting behaviour of its politicians. Please share this on social media.