Two textbook companies have withdrawn a picture of a war-time Chinese propaganda mural from their respective history textbooks for this school-year, although they had both passed the Ministry of Education screening process, according to a Sankei newspaper article. (April 22, 1999)

Sankei Shinbun reported that one of the textbooks, intended for 6th graders, is published by Osaka Shoseki, and written by Hibi Yutaka, professor of Nagoya University, and others. The second textbook is for middle-school use, published by Nihon Bunkyo Shuppan, and edited by Ohama Tetsuya, professor of Tsukuba University.

The use of the picture of the mural in school textbooks in recent years has been a topic of controversy. It was photographed from the wall of a house in northern China during the war, claiming to depict atrocities committed by Japanese soldiers. Those who have protested the insertion of this picture in textbooks point out that cutting off the breasts of the convicted is a form of punishment historically practiced in China, but never in Japan, that it is Chinese propaganda not based on actual fact, and that the use of such an unsubstantiated perverted picture is too emotionally disturbing to elementary and middle-school students.

The school textbook for 6th graders by Osaka Shoseki

1998 Edition*1                      1999 Edition*2
     
*1 War-time Chinese propaganda mural had been withdrawn...
*2 ...and was replaced by this picture of Chinese soldiers.

Osaka Shoseki commented that they decided to withdraw the picture "after re-considering the developmental stage of 6th graders".

Nihon Bunkyo Shuppan said that they decided not to use it after teachers complained of difficulties in using the material.