Two recent incidents have revealed the cozy relationship between government and the media in Japan. One is the appointment of a former Yomiuri Shimbun chief editorialist as a member of the National Public Safety Commission. The other is the fact that a member of the Cabinet press club wrote a memo for Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori advising him on how to dodge sensitive questions at a press conference. Whether Mori actually read the memo is anybody's guess.
Regarding the first incident, which was reported June 1 in an Asahi Shimbun column, the writer said a series of police scandals, including those involving the Niigata prefectural police, have proved that the commission's oversight functions are "paralyzed." The columnist quoted a Yomiuri Shimbun editorial as saying: "The commissioners are appointed by the prime minister, but they are selected by the police. Generally, theirs is an honorary position."
The post in question was previously held by an adviser to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, who retired at the end of his term. Reports say that the commission meets once a week, yet its members draw an annual salary of 26 million yen each, and that they toe the police line. The ruling and opposition parties were split over the appointment, which was subject to parliamentary approval.