Sixty-eight Japanese civil organizations on Sunday criticized the government's connivance at the approval of a fallacious textbook that whitewashes Japan's history of aggression, and urged Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to stop visiting the notorious Yasukuni Shrine.

The groups, including Hachioji Citizens' Association for Anti-Dangerous Textbooks, said in a statement that they will mobilize all efforts to hold back the use of this textbook in school.

The statement also indicated that the textbook approved by the education ministry has triggered strong discontentment and anger of China and South Korea, bringing severe harm to Japan's friendlyrelations with other Asian countries.

The groups expressed strong protest against the approval of thetextbook, saying that they will launch a series of protest activities such as signatory collection and publicity via newspaper advertisement to fight adoption of the textbook in Tokyoand other areas.

With more than 800 participants, the groups also held a three-hour assembly on the same day in Tokyo's Chiyoda Auditorium, urging the government to take a correct attitude on its mistakes concerning historical issues.

Source: Xinhua