For foreigners who have never been to Japan, news wire services and other media often provide their only view of this country.
Yet, for James Lagier, outgoing chief of the Associated Press's Tokyo bureau, that view can sometimes be distorted.
"There are some journalistic organizations that have stereotyped Japan, and I don't think it's right," said Lagier, who retires today after 39 years with AP, eight of them in Tokyo.