Masahisa Sato, a lawmaker with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, has twice raised the issue in Japan’s upper house of parliament, warning in April that “if historical issues are not addressed seriously, then it will be extremely difficult to change perceptions”.
“The Japanese population in Canada is significantly smaller than the Chinese population,” he said. “If we do not take historical issues seriously, then Japanese people will lose their standing.”
Apparently dissatisfied with the government’s failure to act, Sato brought the matter up again on May 27, calling on Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya to register a formal protest with his Canadian counterpart, Anita Anand.
“We have confirmed cases where the exhibits were made with extreme language and expressions that are far removed from the historical facts,” Iwaya replied. Japan would make representations “at the most appropriate level and timing”, he added.
