This book examines the decision-making processes behind the formulation and evolution of the Japanese government’s official stance regarding diplomatic problems connected with the history of Japan’s territorial expansionism in East Asia. Through four case studies - apologies for the war of aggression, a history textbook screening system, prime ministerial visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, and the “comfort women” issue, it reveals which institutional actors formulated an initial response to issues of history, under what political circumstances Japan’s official stance on history problems was shaped and institutionalized, and what methods were utilized by the revisionists to challenge the status quo.