2008- July 14 - The New Guidelines for Teacher's Handbook

Japanese government decided to describe "Takeshima" in a teachers's handbook on the new curriculum guidelines for middles school social studies, finally !! Yesterday's article from Yomiuri Shimbun　cache

Teaching handbook set to mention Takeshima

The Yomiuri Shimbun

The government has begun discussions over how to refer to the disputed Takeshima islets in a handbook on the new curriculum guidelines for middle school social studies, but is expected to stop short of referring to them explicitly as part of "the nation's territory," The Yomiuri Shimbun learned Saturday.

Once a final decision over the description has been reached, the Education, Science and Technology Ministry plans to present the handbook to prefectural boards of education officials at a meeting to be held in Tokyo on Monday to explain the handbook.

The ministry initially planned to describe the islets as "inherent territory of Japan" in the new manual.

But after a strong response from South Korea, some within the government argued Japan should give greater consideration to maintaining good bilateral relations.

The government has been consulting with relevant departments over a plan to mention in the new teaching manual the islets as an example of the country's ongoing territorial disputes, which along with the four islands off eastern Hokkaido, known as the northern territories, are required to be studied.

On the northern territories, the ministry plans to say, "The Habomai islets and the Shikotan, Kunashiri and Etorofu islands are the inherent territory of Japan and illegally occupied by Russia."

In the case of the Takeshima islets, known as Dokdo in South Korea, the ministry has discussed a proposal to mention in the manual that Seoul claims sovereignty over them.

New editions of handbooks on the curriculum guidelines are drawn up for each subject at primary, middle and high schools when the guidelines are revised, about every 10 years.

As the manuals give detailed explanations about the content of the guidelines, they are also used for publishers producing textbooks.

Currently, only four of the 14 publishers mention the Takeshima islets in their textbooks for social studies classes at middle school.

However, the introduction of the description about the islets in the new handbook is expected to prompt more publishers to mention them.
(Jul. 13, 2008)

The Takeshima part of new guidlines for teacher's handbook is as follows. I don't have much time to translate all of them. But the lines in red are Takeshima related part and translation is in orange. Honestly, it sounds very reasonable and nothing confrontational against Korea. I think there should be description about Korean illegal occupancy and it's logical breakdown, and Japanese government did backed a lot. But it is better than nothing. Especially, it is really good to hear PM Fukuda, who had been indecisive, did stand firm against Korean president. Korean should stay calm and need to understand this was just a due course which had already been decided two years ago. And they also need to understand Japan has its right to teach kids what they need to do just like Korean are doing. Read more from Choson Ilbo.

本年3月の中学校学習指導要領の改訂を受けた、２０１２年度から使用される中学校学習指導要領「解説」における竹島の取り扱いについて、内閣官房長官と文部科学大臣との間で論争になっていたことにつき、文部科学省は解説における記述について、本日午後、次の様に発表した。

○　中学校学習指導要領 社会［地理的分野］

「領域の特色と変化」については、北方領土が我が国の固有の領土であることなど、我が国の領域をめぐる問題にも着目させるようにすること。

（※ 平成１０年１２月告示の現行のままで変更なし）

○　解説

改訂版(Revised)

現行(Now in use)

（略）…。また、我が国は四面環海の国土であるため直接他国と陸地を接していないことに着目させ、国境がもつ意味について考えさせたり、我が国が正当に主張している立場に基づいて、当面する領土問題や経済水域の問題などに着目させたりすることも大切である。 　その際、「北方領土が我が国の固有の領土であることなど、我が国の領域をめぐる問題にも着目させるようにすること」（内容の取扱い）とあることから、北方領土（歯舞群島、色丹島、国後島、択捉島）については、その位置と範囲を確認させるとともに、北方領土は我が国の固有の領土であるが、現在ロシア連邦によって不法に占拠されているため、その返還を求めていることなどについて、的確に扱う必要がある。また、我が国と韓国の間に竹島をめぐって主張に相違があることなどにも触れ、北方領土と同様に我が国の領土・領域について理解を深めさせることも必要である。 (Northern territories (Etorofu island, Kunashiri island, Shikotan island and Habomai islands of Kuril Islands)“ are our inherent territory, they are illegally occupied by Russia.) It is necessary to deepen understanding about our country's territory in a way identical with the Northern territories by mentioning that there exist differing assertions between our country and Korea over Takeshima.

（略）…。なお、我が国は四面環海の国土であるため直接他国と陸地を接して いないことに着目させ、国境がもつ意味について考えさせたり、我が国が当面する領土問題や経済水域の問題などに着目させたりすることも大切である。　その 際、「北方領土が我が国の固有の領土であることなど、我が国の領域をめぐる問題にも着目させるようにすること」（内容の取扱い）とあることから、北方領土 （歯舞諸島、色丹島、国後島、択捉島）については、その位置と範囲を確認させるとともに、北方領土は我が国の固有の領土であるが、現在ロシア連邦によって占拠されているため、その返還を求めていることなどについて、我が国が正当に主張している立場に基づいて的確に扱う必要がある。