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April 29, 2024
 

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MEDIA MIX

Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jan 25, 2020
Okinawa base debate ignores the bigger picture
Like many construction projects supported by the public sector, the new U.S. Marine Corps air base being built in the Henoko district of Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, has seen its budget skyrocket since it was first proposed and its completion date postponed. When the project was first announced jointly by the U.S. military and Japan in 1996, the construction period was going to be five years for landfill work and three years for building the airfield. Henoko is meant to replace U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, which is considered a danger to residents of Ginowan City and, according to a previous plan, Futenma would be "returned" to Okinawa by 2022 at the earliest. On Dec. 25, the Defense Ministry announced that the land would not be returned until the mid- to late 2030s.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jan 18, 2020
Fleeing in Japan may be more common than many think
Having fled Japan while awaiting trial for alleged financial wrongdoing, former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has probably become the most famous foreign national ever arrested in the country. For a while after his initial detention in November 2018, the media discussed Japan's so-called hostage justice system, which allows prosecutors to compel courts to hold suspects for indefinite periods prior to and during trials. With Ghosn's escape, this discussion is again in the news, although its focus is misleading in that it gives the impression Ghosn was subjected to harsh legal procedures because he is not Japanese. These legal procedures apply to Japanese defendants as well. 
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jan 11, 2020
Japan Post Holdings drags its heels on insurance sales scandal
On Dec. 27, the top three executives of Japan Post Holdings Co. announced they would be resigning on Jan. 5 over the insurance sales scandal that first came to light more than a year and a half ago. The announcement comes on the heels of an order from the Financial Services Agency for subsidiaries of the firm to halt sales of insurance products for three months starting Jan. 1.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jan 4, 2020
Japan's bureaucrats take top news honors in 2019
A year ago, the big news story in Japan was former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn languishing in a jail cell while the media discussed whether he should be there, thus sparking an overdue discussion about the country's so-called hostage justice system. It was a nice discussion while it lasted. 
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Dec 28, 2019
Tetsu Nakamura's death in Afghanistan exposes a gap of perception in Japan
Following the assassination of Dr. Tetsu Nakamura in Afghanistan earlier this month, the government of Afghanistan held a memorial ceremony for him as his body was delivered to the airplane that would take it out of the country. President Ashraf Ghani was one of the pallbearers. When Nakamura's coffin arrived at Narita Airport on Dec. 8, the highest public official on hand was Japan’s state minister of foreign affairs.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Dec 21, 2019
Japan's treatment of freelancers comes under the microscope
Veteran British filmmaker Ken Loach's latest work, "Sorry We Missed You," which opened in Japan recently, is about the gig economy, the new employment environment surrounding companies like the ride-sharing service Uber that don't so much hire people as give them access to users.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Dec 14, 2019
News outlets miss pivotal factor in decision to shift 2020 Olympic events
When the International Olympic Committee announced that the marathon and race walk competitions for next year's Olympics would be moved to Hokkaido due to fears that the summer heat in Tokyo might be too intense, Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike had no choice but to accept the directive, although she made a point of expressing her disappointment.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Dec 7, 2019
News outlets take time to connect the dots in Kepco gift scandal
In September, media reported that 20 executives of Kansai Electric Power Co. (Kepco) had, for a decade or so, received almost ¥320 million worth of cash and gifts from Eiji Moriyama, the former deputy mayor of Takahama, Fukui Prefecture, who died in March at the age of 90. The compensation was presumably paid in gratitude for Kepco contracts with a construction company close to Moriyama that had done work for Kepco’s Takahama nuclear power plant. The story caused a sensation and there has since been a steady drip of reports compounding Kepco's complicity in the matter, but the only significant repercussion so far has been the resignation of Kepco's chairman. No charges have been filed.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Nov 30, 2019
Taro Yamamoto blurs the popular line on climate change
Climate change is not much of a social issue in Japan. Even in the wake of three recent weather-related disasters, there has been little discussion across the political spectrum that climate change contributed to them. In Europe and the United States, left-leaning groups demand action to mitigate the effects of climate change, which they say is the result of human activity, while right-leaning groups tend to dismiss human impact and even question whether climate change is real. 
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Nov 23, 2019
Overuse of Japan's medical system may be complicating treatment
One of the criticisms of the “Medicare for All” government-run health care scheme proposed by U.S. Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren is that eliminating all limits to treatment would lead to "overuse" of the medical care system, meaning people would be seeing doctors for every little perceived ailment, which is wasteful. Given the vast number of Americans who presently forego medical attention because they cannot afford private insurance, overuse of medical resources should be considered at worst a necessary evil. 
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Nov 16, 2019
Public divided over treatment of the homeless during Typhoon Hagibis
When Typhoon Hagibis struck Tokyo on Oct. 12, news emerged that three homeless people had been turned away from an emergency evacuation facility in Taito Ward. As the story spread, it varied in tone and content on social media. Some thought the persons refused entry were not actually homeless, while others thought that even if they were the officials at the facility were right to reject them because they weren’t registered at addresses in the ward.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Nov 9, 2019
Exploring the artistic subtleties at play behind the controversial Aichi Triennale exhibition
The Aichi Triennale arts festival closed on Oct. 14, and, along with it, a controversial exhibition titled "After 'Freedom of Expression?'", which had been temporarily shut down following threats of violence and complaints. The main point of contention was a statue of a Korean "comfort woman," the inclusion of which angered those who don't think that the women who sexually serviced Japanese soldiers before and during World War II were forced or coerced into such service, which is what the statue represents. 
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Nov 2, 2019
Questions raised over disaster preparedness in wake of Typhoon Hagibis
A remark commonly heard in Japan in the wake of a natural disaster is, “We couldn’t predict such a thing.” In the case of Typhoon Hagibis, which ravaged the eastern and northern parts of the archipelago in mid-October, the unpredictable thing was the amount of rainfall, which caused massive flooding that resulted in more than 80 deaths and billions of yen in damage. In fact, meteorologists had predicted Hagibis would be the biggest storm to hit eastern Japan in decades and that it would dump an unprecedented amount of water on the region. So when officials say they couldn’t predict the enormity of the typhoon, what they arguably really mean is that they weren’t ready for it.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Oct 26, 2019
Staff shortages are imperiling Japan's teaching industry
Earlier this month, four teachers at an elementary school in Kobe were accused of repeatedly bullying four other teachers, as well as mistreating students. The alleged bullies have been suspended and at least one of the victims has taken sick leave because of the persecution. As a result, the school is short five full-time teachers at a time when public schools nationwide are suffering staff shortages.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Oct 19, 2019
Creating a barrier-free transportation environment in Japan
Not too long ago, domestic media organizations would rarely have anything negative to say about the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but as the actual games draw nearer, there's been a greater willingness to find fault with preparations and even raise a bit of alarm. Everything from Tokyo's deadly summertime heat to the out-of-control budget is now up for discussion.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Oct 12, 2019
No clear picture on 4K and 8K display differences
One of the consumer items that enjoyed a bump in sales prior to this month's sales tax hike was TV sets, specifically those that feature 4K and 8K displays. In many cases, it simply appears the timing was right. Many households hadn't bought new televisions since the introduction of digital terrestrial broadcasts in 2011, but there's also next year's Tokyo Olympics to look forward to in glistening ultrahigh definition.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Sep 28, 2019
Cabinet reshuffle raises a slew of new questions
Since the new Cabinet was announced on Sept. 11, the focus has been on Shinjiro Koizumi as environment minister. Described by some as earnest but lacking in substantive ideas, the 38-year-old lawmaker has tried to make the most of the spotlight, commenting on Japan's role in addressing climate change and visiting Fukushima Prefecture to assure residents that he's aware the stricken nuclear reactor has ruined their lives. The timing of the appointment was especially opportune in that it coincided with the U.N. Climate Action Summit in New York, although Koizumi may have forfeited some of the international climate crisis community's good will by dining out at an expensive steak house the night before the summit. Beef production is increasingly cited as a prime culprit of global warming.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Sep 21, 2019
Confusion reigns over scope of the forthcoming tax hike
When the government raised the consumption tax from 5 percent to 8 percent in April 2014, Japan suffered a recession. One possible indicator if such a downturn will happen prior to next month's long-delayed hike to 10 percent is how much people are spending now in anticipation of the increase. On Sept. 14, the Tokyo Shimbun reported on purchases of home electronics during the first week of September. On the whole, sales of digital electronics were less than they were a month before the 2014 tax hike went into effect. However, year-on-year sales of TV sets in September this year were significantly up from year-on-year sales in March 2014, mainly owing to the availability of 4K and 8K displays and the fact that many households have not bought new TVs since digital terrestrial broadcasts started in 2011.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Sep 14, 2019
Of cats and rabbits: UNESCO World Heritage candidate caught in a bind over tourism drive
UNESCO designates World Heritage sites in order to preserve cultural or natural assets deemed significant to humanity. The idea is to maintain these assets for future generations, but UNESCO itself doesn't pay for maintenance. It is up to the countries where the sites are located and UNESCO will remove the certification if they’re not maintained properly.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Sep 7, 2019
Uncovering Japan's involvement in the Korean War
Every August, NHK airs a lot of new documentaries to commemorate the end of World War II. The range of topics is not typically limited to events that happened in August 1945. This year's crop covered newspaper propaganda leading up to the war; the infamous attempted coup by idealistic young officers on Feb. 26, 1936; the "phantom" aircraft carrier Shinano, which sank during its first voyage; and a look at surviving Japanese war brides of American soldiers. 
Number of homeless in Japan hits record low
Homeless people sleep on the street in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward in August 2021.
Raising kids in Japan as a single parent? It takes a village.
Making things work as a foreign, single mother in Japan isn't easy, but these tips and tricks can help you through the hardest parts.
JAL cancels international flight after captain gets drunk at Dallas hotel
A Japan Airlines' flight from Dallas to Tokyo was canceled last week after its captain got drunk at a local hotel.
In Japan, regional revitalization fails to halt population decline
Sakiyama elementary school in Tamba, Hyogo Prefecture, in March .Over the past decade, the government has directed efforts toward policies designed to give young people incentives to base themselves in rural areas.
Putin’s war will soon reach Russians’ tax bills
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting in St. Petersburg on Friday.
Climate change, chalky grains and the risks for Japan’s rice farmers
A farmer plants seedlings in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Prefecture. Japan’s self sufficiency rate for rice is nearly 100%, compared with 38% for food overall, on a calorie basis.
Japan wants you to spend more with ‘luxury tourism’
Performers play a traditional drum unique to Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the prefectural capital of Kanazawa on March 16 to mark the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line to Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture.
Theaster Gates’ ambitious ‘Afro-Mingei’ brings Black Chicago to Tokyo
Theaster Gates' “A Heavenly Chord” lines up church pews before seven speakers and a Hammond B3 organ, a type of electric organ prevalent in Black American churches.
Casa del Cibo: A thriving jewel born from Tohoku’s harsh past
When chef Ryohei Ikemi moved to Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, and opened Casa del Cibo in 2011, it was the first proper Italian restaurant in the city.
Town to block view of Mount Fuji in response to overtourism
The town government of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, decided to set up a 2.5-meter-high screen to prevent tourists from taking pictures of Mount Fuji looming behind a convenience store.

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