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 Japan＊s actions before and during World War II and ease the fetters imposed on defense policy by Japan＊s 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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