Various civic movements are rising up to oppose the security legislation proposed by the Abe administration. On June 14, roughly 25,000 people — including myself — took part in a demonstration encircling the Diet premises to speak out against the legislation. On the same day, about 3,000 mainly young people took part in a protest rally held in Tokyo's Shibuya. The number of participants in both events reportedly well exceeded the forecast by the organizers.

I was shocked to see NHK's 7 p.m. news program that evening. While the program gave a detailed report about the student demonstration in Hong Kong against the electoral reform led by China's mainland government, it totally ignored the rallies held in Japan against the security legislation. I can only think that NHK has a policy of trying to avoid as much as possible reporting on moves to oppose the security legislation.

Of course NHK does not entirely kowtow to those in power. On the same evening of June 14, it broadcast an excellent documentary on the Battle of Okinawa that featured film footage of the battle and testimonies of survivors. I am fully aware that many NHK staffers — some of whom are my friends — do their best at work to produce excellent programs. But NHK’s reporting policy has no doubt been heavily influenced by the installation of people close to the Abe administration as the public broadcaster’s president and on its board of governors.