The Asahi Shimbun's April 9, 1999, morning edition featured a front-page story by the monthly magazine Uwasa-no-shinso (The Truth Behind the Rumors) that sparked a scandal leading to the downfall of the then head of the Tokyo High Public Prosecutor's Office.
The magazine had disclosed that Mamoru Norisada abused his authority by pressuring a private firm into paying off a former hostess with whom he was having an affair. Norisada resigned four days after the daily carried the story.
It was a day of victory for Yasunori Okadome, the magazine's 54-year-old chief editor and publisher, who believes reporting about gossip -- including that pertaining to sexual liaisons -- is an important form of journalism.