A push by Japan to correct perceived bias in accounts of the country¡¯s wartime past is creating a row that risks muddling the positive message in a mammoth public relations campaign to win friends abroad.
The PR campaign, which has a budget of over half a billion dollars, comes as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe aims to adopt a less apologetic stance on Â鶹´«Ã½ actions before and during World War II and ease the fetters imposed on defense policy by Â鶹´«Ã½ postwar, pacifist Constitution.
History is hardly the sole focus of the PR program. Many of the funds will be used for soft-power initiatives to cultivate ¡°pro-Japan¡± foreigners, such as supporting Japan studies at universities and setting up ¡°Japan House¡± centers to promote the ¡°Japan Brand.¡±
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