Opinion
Hotel with Questionable Background
Japan’s APA Group sparks controversy with hotel room books distorting WWII history
By Lan Xinzhen  ·  2017-01-17  ·   Source: | Web Exclusive
 

 An APA hotel in Japan 

Many travelers in Japan may have stayed in APA hotels and seen books written under the pen name Seiji Fuji by APA CEO Toshio Motoya, including Theoretical Modern History II - The Real History of Japan. 

These books are written in English and Japanese; thus they are easily neglected by Chinese and South Korean customers. However, when you know these books deny the Nanjing Massacre and the sexual slavery committed by the Japanese military during World War II, would you be indifferent? 

There are many testimonies from Japanese war criminals and survivors, in addition to other materials, proving Japanese militarists' wartime crimes against humanity. War criminals were tried at the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal following the end of World War II. However, the Japanese right wing always tries to whitewash the bloody and violent past of Japanese imperialism. 

APA is a hotel chain with tens of thousands of rooms in Japan. Right-wing books, which can be observed in many rooms, have become propaganda tools for Abe's administration. 

What about the CEO of APA Group, 73-year-old Toshio Motoya? His titles include deputy director of a support group for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.  

As a commercial organization, APA Group is involved in right-wing political activities. I'm wondering whether you will go to such a hotel. 

Background: 

A Sina Weibo account named "KatAndSid" first exposed APA selling such books on January 12. They then posted a video of them purchasing one of the books, Theoretical Modern History II - The Real History of Japan, at the reception of an APA-owned hotel.

The book refers to the "300,000 people slaughtered in Nanking (now known as Nanjing)" as "falsehood" and labels the Nanjing Massacre, "comfort women" and forced prostitution in China and South Korea as "untruths."

Copyedited by Dominic James Madar

Comments to lifangfang@bjreview.com

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