Media | MEDIA MIX Jul 15, 2012

Better a ban on work drinks than a ban on workers drinking

by Philip Brasor

On July 6, the president of Fuji TV, Ko Toyoda, held a press conference and apologized for a June 9 segment of the variety show “Mecha Mecha Iketeru!” in which a group of celebrities had a drinking contest. Three citizens organizations, including a group ...

Media | MEDIA MIX Jul 8, 2012

What nobody is saying about Noda's new consumption tax bill

by Philip Brasor

Two weeks ago, the Lower House passed a law to increase the consumption tax to 10 percent by 2015, something Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has been pushing with blinkered, self-sacrificial dedication. Eventual final passage seems inevitable at this point, and so the only aspect ...

Media | MEDIA MIX Jul 1, 2012

Often-ignored immigration issue raised in new film

by Philip Brasor

Several weeks ago, U.S. President Barack Obama said that he wants to allow younger undocumented immigrants who came to America as children to stay, and last week the Supreme Court struck down some provisions of Arizona’s controversial law requiring police to check individuals they ...

Media | MEDIA MIX Jun 24, 2012

Escaped-animal antics are good for ratings

by Philip Brasor

One of the interesting factoids accompanying the escaped-penguin story that delighted the media for the last three months is that Japan has more penguins in captivity than any other country. Tokyo Sea Life Park, the facility from which the male Humboldt penguin in question ...

Media | MEDIA MIX Jun 10, 2012

The public shame of crying poor

by Philip Brasor

Public acts of contrition don’t get any more dramatic than comedian Junichi Komoto’s May 25 press conference, where he apologized for allowing his mother to collect government welfare payments even though he’s made good money himself as a TV personality. Josei Seven, the women’s ...

Media | MEDIA MIX Jun 3, 2012

Homophobic joke goes awry for Beat

by Philip Brasor

On the May 12 edition of the TBS current affairs variety show “Newscaster” comedian “Beat” Takeshi Kitano made a joke about homosexual unions during a discussion of U.S. President Barack Obama’s recent comment in support of same-sex marriage. Kitano’s mission as the program’s resident ...

Media | MEDIA MIX May 27, 2012

Anniversary of Okinawa's reversion highlights opposing press views

by Philip Brasor

In February, Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba assured the mayor of Iwakuni City and the governor of Yamaguchi Prefecture that Japan would not ask the people they serve to take on “any additional burden” from U.S. forces. Iwakuni already has a Marine Corps air station, ...

Media | MEDIA MIX May 20, 2012

TV: no longer the drug of the people

by Philip Brasor

Last week, Japan’s fifth largest discount electronics retailer, Bic Camera, announced it would soon obtain a 50 percent share of Japan’s sixth-largest discount electronics retailer, Kojima, thus making the combined companies Japan’s second-largest electronics retailer. Bic operates 34 stores in large cities while Kojima ...

Media | MEDIA MIX May 13, 2012

Road-death stats hide the truth

by Philip Brasor

The media likes to report on victims of accidents, disasters and crimes, and while it’s natural to feel sympathy for unfortunate individuals, the only imaginable benefit this sort of coverage provides to viewers and readers is catharsis, which is better served by the popular ...

Media | MEDIA MIX May 6, 2012

'Hidden children' of politicians no hurdle to success

by Philip Brasor

Democratic Party of Japan kingpin Ichiro Ozawa was acquitted last week of conspiring to file false financial reports for his political group. He can now return full-time to the job he was elected to do, but the sense you get from the mainstream media ...