Former South Korean comfort women take part in a rally in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul in 2007

Japan’s public broadcaster, NHK, has banned any reference to the notorious Rape of Nanking, to the country’s use of wartime sex slaves, and to its territorial dispute with China, in what critics see as a surrender of its editorial independence.

In a secret internal document, obtained by The Times, journalists on NHK’s English-language services are instructed about the precise phrasing to be used in reporting some of the most controversial topics in Japanese politics. The rules appear to reflect the position of the government of Shinzo Abe, Japan’s conservative nationalist prime minister.

The revelation follows the assertion by NHK’s chairman, a friend and appointee of Mr Abe, that the broadcaster should not dissent from the Japanese government position. It will anger China and South