Japan has been accused of rewriting its brutal wartime past in a controversial government-approved school history textbook.

Officials in South Korea claim the new book, which will be used in schools from next year, has whitewashed Japan's history of colonising Asian states before and during the Second World War.

The complaints centre on attempts to justify Japan's invasion of Asian states while playing down the brutal role of the army.

The textbook, published by a right wing organisation, reportedly claims that Japan annexed Korea in order to ensure national security and to protect its democracy.