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Free Speech - Silenced Voices: The Japanese Media, the Comfort Women Tribunal, and the NHK Affair

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 May 2025

Tessa Morris-Suzuki
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At the start of each week, the commuter trains and subways of Japan are adorned with a mass of multi-colored advertisements, enticing the passengers to buy the latest of issue of the country's many weekly magazines. The advertisements are an art form in themselves. All follow a similar format. A tightly packed mass of text, some of it almost too small to be readable, sets out the fare on offer. Amongst these smaller titles, a few select words, picked out in giant black or red characters, proclaim the catch-cries of this week's news. Crime, death, sex and scandal figure prominently in the advertisements' lexicons. Mixed in with the text are small photographs of the main protagonists in the magazine's stories, photographs (of course) carefully chosen to complement the accompanying text – radiant smiling images of this week's heroes; blurry, scowling shots of the current villains of the political or entertainment world.

Type
Research Article
Information
Asia-Pacific Journal , Volume 4 , Issue 12 , December 2006 , e22
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2006

References

Notes

[1] For wider discussion of the role of the Japanese media in public debate, see Yoshimi Shunya, Media Bunka Ron, Tokyo, Yuhikaku, 2004; Yamaguchi Masanori, Media ga Shimin no Teki ni naru: Sayonara Yomiuri Shimbun, Tokyo, Gendai Jinbunsha, 2004; Asano Ken'ichi and Yamaguchi Masanori (eds), Musekinin na Masumedia: Kenryoku Kainyu no Kiki to Hodo Higai, Tokyo, Gendai Jinbunsha, 2001; S. J. Pharr and E. S. Krauss eds., Media and Politics in Japan, Honolulu, University of Hawaii Press, 1996; Duncan McCargo, Media and Politics in Pacific Asia, London, Routledge, 2002, chapter 3.

[2] For further information on the Women's International War Crimes Tribunal, see the VAWW-Net Website; also Gavan McCormack, “How the History Wars in Japan Left a Black Mark on NHK TV (Their BBC)”, History News Network, 7 February 2005,

[3] For an archive of material on the “comfort women” issue see Chunghee Sarah Soh, “The Comfort Women Project”.

[4] See Tessa Morris-Suzuki, “When is a Terrorist not a Terrorist?” Znet Japan, 24 September 2003.

[5] For an outline of Abe's career, see “Profile: Shinzo Abe”.

[6] See “Kanbu, ‘Atsuryoku to Kanjita’: NHK-gawa ni 2 Giin Iken de Bangumi Kaihen (Kaisetsu)”, and “Nakagawa Sho, Abe Shi ‘Naiyo Katayori’ Shiteki: NHK ‘Ianfu’ Bangumi Kaihen”, Asahi Shimbun, 12 January 2005; also Honda Masakazu and Takada Makoto, “LDP Pressure Led to Cuts to NHK Show”, Asahi Shimbun, 12 January 2005, English article available online.

[7] “NHK, LDP Lawmakers Deny any ‘Political Pressure’ to Alter Show”, Asahi Shimbun, 15 January 2005; “Japan: NHK Closes Ranks against Asahi, Whistle-Blower”, Japan Times, 15 January 2005.

[8] “Seijika, Bangumi Naiyo no Jizen Setsumei ‘Tozen’ – NHK Gen-Sokyokucho Ninchiki Shimesu”, Asahi Shimbun, 20 January 2005.

[9] On the Hutton Inquiry, see the official Inquiry website. See also the Guardian newspaper's special report on the Inquiry; and Shier Affair see report by Fiona Reynolds, “ABC Managing Director Resigns”, “AM” Program, ABC Radio, 1 Nov 2001; also Hugh Mackay's “Dossier on Jonathan Shier” on the website of the NSW branch of Friends of the ABC.

[10] “Yato ‘Kokkai de Tsuikyu’: Akushitsu na Seiji Kainyu to Hihan – NHK Bangumi Kaihen”, Asahi Shimbun, 13 January 2005.

[11] “‘Majogari’ Daikyoho”, Shukan Shincho, 27 January 2005, pp. 32-35.

[12] “NHK mo Asahi mo Zettai ni Hojinai sorezore no ‘Chibu‘”, Shukan Bunshun, 3 February 2005, pp. 26-30.

[13] Ibid p. 28.

[14] For example, Abe Shinzo and Nakanishi Terumasa, “Ianfu mo Yasukuni mo ‘Asahi Mondai’ da”, Shokun!, March 2005, pp. 22-33, see particularly p. 29.

[15] Nishimura Yukihiro, “Tenka no Asahi ni ‘Honda Masakazu’ Kisha Ari”, Shokun! March 2005, pp. 48-55.

[16] For example, Maggie Farley, “Japan's Press and the Politics of Scandal” in S. J. Pharr and E. S. Krauss eds., Media and Politics in Japan, Honolulu, University of Hawaii Press, 1996, pp. 19-43; for further discussion of the “guard dog” thesis, see also Chalinee Hirano, Political Information Contests and the Media's Role in Politics: A Comparative Analysis of the Thai and Japanese Media, unpublished PhD thesis, Australian National University, 2001.

[17] “(Shasetsu) NHK Mondai: ‘Jinshin Ishhin’ de Katazuku ka”, Hokkaido Shimbun, 26 Jan 2005; “(Shasetsu) NHK Kaikaiku: Hyoka wa Shichosha ga aru”, Kochi Shimbun, 9 Feb 2005;

[18] “NHK o Naibu Kokuhatsu shita Nagai Satoru Chîfu Prodyusa Kisha Kaiken”, (13 Jan 2005) and “Janarisuto to Media Kankeisha ni yoru NHK Mondai ni kansuru Kisha Kaiken to Apîru” (18 Jan 2005), Videonews.com.

[19] See the NGOs' joint website.

[20] For an excellent account of the new “media democracy” in South Korea see Hyun Moo-Am, Kankoku no Dejutaru Demokurashii, Tokyo, Shueisha Shinsho, 2005.

[21] See for example Mekiki-Net.

[22] See “NHK Bangumi Mondai: Jizen Setsumei no Kinshi o Moshiire: ‘Jushinryo Shiharai Teishi no Kai’ Hassoku”, Mainichi Shimbun, 9 Feb 2005; also “Jushinryo Harai Toketsu Undo: NHK Mondai de Todai Kyojura 'Jizen.