Lawmakers group to seek removal of China's anti-Japan photos

Veteran conservative lawmaker Takeo Hiranuma and other Diet members will launch a parliamentary league on Wednesday to urge China to remove photos from its war museums that show the Japanese military's wartime atrocities, involved lawmakers said Friday.

The launch of the league was initially planned for January but was delayed because Hiranuma, an independent member of the House of Representatives, who is expected to head the group, suffered a stroke in December and was hospitalized.

The group plans to urge China through diplomatic channels to remove what it calls "unjustifiable" photos which are believed to be displayed in about 150 Chinese war museums and aim to convey China's victory in its resistance to Japanese military aggression. The lawmakers said the museums have apparently been established in response to the Chinese Communist Party's efforts to boost patriotism among the younger generations.