The media’s role in helping Suga become Japan’s prime minister
A funny thing happened between the day Shinzo Abe said he was stepping down as Japan's prime minister and the day Yoshihide Suga was elected the new president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Abe's presumptive successor. Prior to Abe's Aug. 28 announcement, ...
Prosecutor gambling scandal lifts veil on press access in Japan
Will the incident prompt any major media outlet to change its ways when socializing with sources?
Conservative magazines set sights on Ikegami
"I don't watch much TV on my own," writes university lecturer Atsushi Iwata in WiLL magazine (November), "but sometimes I watch together with my wife. I don't particularly care about what she watches, but there are times when I ask her to change the ...
Donald Trump's 'first 100 days' is down for the count
In American newspapers, wire services, cable TV and blogs, U.S. President Donald Trump is beset by a host of recurring brickbats, from complaints over his refusal to make public his income tax returns and alleged Russian connections, to his reputation as a male chauvinist ...
Of birds and bugs: journalism in Tokyo and Osaka
One of the first things Tokyoites who relocate to Osaka notice is that, while their favorite mainstream media news source is available in both cities, the tone and often substance of the reporting is different. It's a cliche among Japan watchers that "Japanese newspapers and ...
As one of Japan's most respected newspapers incurs a tumult of jeers from critics for admitting erroneous reporting, a group of prominent lawyers is rallying in its support. On Friday they urged the Asahi Shimbun not to discipline its staff but to keep its reporting ...
Asahi Shimbun apologizes for balking at columnist's 'comfort women' commentary
The Asahi Shimbun issued an apology Saturday for initially refusing to publish its monthly column by journalist Akira Ikegami, who had chosen to comment on the daily's review of its 1980s-1990s reports on the "comfort women" issue. The daily admitted in the apology in its ...
In U-turn, Asahi agrees to print journalist's 'comfort women' commentary
The Asahi Shimbun newspaper said Wednesday that it will publish a column by journalist Akira Ikegami about the major daily's recent extensive review of its past "comfort women" reports — reversing its earlier rejection of the article. The column in question was printed in the ...
