textbook controversy; school textbook issue
Refers to political and historical disputes over the content of Japanese school textbooks, especially regarding portrayals of wartime actions. Often used in discussions of Japan's international relations.
The textbook controversy affected diplomatic relations with neighboring countries.
Debate over the history textbook issue continues.
歴史認識 refers to historical awareness or perception, often the underlying cause of the textbook controversy, while 教科書問題 specifically denotes the dispute over textbook content.
Compound of 教科書 (textbook) and 問題 (problem, issue). The term gained prominence in the late 20th century in the context of international criticism of Japanese history textbooks.