In 2000 , Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform , a group of conservative scholars , published the '' New History Textbook '' ( '' Atarashii Rekishi Kyokasho '' , ) , which was intended to promote a revised view of Japan . The textbook downplays or whitewashes the nature of Japan 's military aggression in the First Sino-Japanese War , the Japan 's annexation of Korea in 1910 , the Second Sino-Japanese War , and in World War II . The textbook was approved by the Ministry of Education in 2001 , and caused a huge controversy in Japan , China and Korea . A large number of Japanese historians and educators protested against the content of '' New History Textbook '' and its treatment of Japanese wartime activities . China Radio International reported that the PRC government and people were " strongly indignant about and dissatisfied with the new Japanese history textbook for the year 2002 compiled by right-wing Japanese scholars "
Japan 's military aggression
Japanese war crimes
Japanese history textbook controversies