TOKYO A school textbook that has sparked international controversy over charges that it glosses over Japan's wartime atrocities is being snapped up so fast in Tokyo stores that some are selling out within days.

Approved for use from next year by schoolchildren aged 13-15, the history textbook has angered Japan's neighbors and strained diplomatic ties, particularly with China and South Korea.

In an unusual move involving a school text that has yet to appear in the classroom, however, publisher Fuso-Sha began selling the book in Tokyo stores last Friday, and nationwide on Monday.

At one Tokyo branch of major bookseller Kinokuniya, some 1,300 copies have been sold since Friday.

Other stores report similarly rapid sales. One centrally located branch of Maruzen, another major bookseller, said it had sold out its 200 copies and had placed an order for another 300.

"It seems there are many customers whose interest has been piqued by the heavy news coverage surrounding the book," a store official said. "They also appear interested because there has not been this sort of textbook before.

The Education Ministry has voiced concern about the sales, saying many local boards of education have yet to make a final decision on which textbooks they will use in their schools and fearing this could exert undue influence.

Other history and civics textbooks that received ministry approval at the same time have also been criticized, but most complaints have focused on the version produced by Fuso-Sha.

"We received an inquiry from Fuso-Sha about selling the books in stores, and asked that, if they decided to do this, that they wait until after August 15, the final deadline for school boards to make their decision," a ministry official said.

But he said there are no laws or ordinances to block the publisher's move.

An official at Fuso-Sha said: "There was much one-sided criticism of the book after it was approved, and we were unable to present our side of the story."

He declined to give national sales figures but added: "We are quite grateful, as we hope that people will now be able to judge for themselves about the contents."

Both China and South Korea have strenuously objected to the textbook, written by nationalist historians, and have demanded extensive revisions, saying it glosses over Japanese aggression before and during World War II.

The government has said the book does not represent Japan's official view of history and has resisted pressure to revise it.

South Korea, though, has said it is seeking revisions to avoid reopening old wounds and damaging friendship between the two Asian neighbors.

During Japan's 1910-1945 colonization of the Korean peninsula, it forced Koreans to use its language and pledge loyalty to its emperor. South Korea is upset by phrasing in the textbook that suggests Korea benefited from the colonization because of the development of railways and manufacturing industries.

Although the Education Ministry did insist on some revisions before approving the book, it has since said that no further revisions can be made unless there are factual errors.