In an essay published in WiLL magazine, Yoshiko Sakurai sharply examines the Japanese government’s response to the Wuhan virus crisis and the media’s distorted reporting of it. Although the government’s measures, including cloth mask distribution, employment adjustment subsidies, tax and social insurance payment deferrals, and postponement of utility payments, have clear purposes, newspapers and television programs fail to present the whole picture and instead focus on criticizing the administration. This essay questions the current state of the media, which should connect the government and the people in a time of crisis but has forgotten its true duty.

May 7, 2020

The media that has forgotten its duty.
The media does not report these circumstances, does not report what the government is doing and for what purpose, and instead manipulates impressions as if the government’s actions were foolish acts by the administration.

The following is from an essay by Yoshiko Sakurai, published at the beginning of this month’s WiLL magazine, which is filled with essays that all Japanese citizens must read.
The essay is titled:
“Worrying About the Weakness of Our Nation.”
Yoshiko Sakurai is one of the leading representatives of what Saicho defined as a “national treasure.”
Everyone should be grateful for her commentary, which is itself a supreme contribution to Japan.
At the same time, when compared with Ms. Sakurai, who is truly a patriot and a journalist, the appalling level of those who call themselves editorial writers and anchors at the Asahi Shimbun and television media such as NHK makes one feel, with anger from the bottom of one’s heart, that it is no exaggeration to call them criminals against the nation.

We must possess not only “kindness” but also “strength.”
Let us be reborn as a nation capable of independence, beginning with constitutional revision.
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We have no choice but to overcome this with wisdom.

On April 7, the government issued a state of emergency declaration.
In the press conference in which Prime Minister Abe presented data on the spread of the Wuhan virus and asked the people for cooperation, I felt his passion and sincerity.
However, even when a state of emergency is declared, neither the government nor the heads of local governments are given much authority to issue orders.
The exception is that, when temporary hospital facilities are created, land can be forcibly used after a request is made to the landowner.
The “restriction of private rights” pointed out by liberal media such as the Asahi Shimbun mainly derives from this part, but it is impossible to think that this would lead to oppression of the people in the way the Asahi criticizes.
Nowhere in Japan’s legal order or governing system is there a mechanism that grants strong authority to the government.
Japan is structured so as not to give power to the government.
Since the power of the state is extremely fragile, Japan has no choice but to protect itself through the wisdom of the government and the people.
The government must make wise judgments, and the people must each exercise self-restraint and act with an altruistic spirit, or Japan will not endure.
If, by any chance, the government becomes foolish like the former Democratic Party administration and the people run toward selfishness, our country will fall into confusion and lose its strength dramatically.
Unless the people and the government build a relationship of trust and cooperate, we cannot overcome the threat of the virus.

The media that has forgotten its duty.

Nevertheless, the media, which should be playing the role of connecting the government and the people, is not fulfilling its original function of conveying facts.
Are newspapers and terrestrial television not running toward sensational reporting and pouring out distorted information without showing the whole picture of the crisis facing our country?
The government decided to distribute two cloth masks per household.
Renho, deputy leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, estimated the cost of distributing cloth masks at 46.6 billion yen and called for the policy to be reviewed.
Other opposition lawmakers and the media also criticized it, saying:
“It is a waste of tax money.”
“There are things that should be prioritized more.”
But is it fair to drag down the government in such a manner?
Let us look closely at the mask issue.
Until now, Japan and other countries had relied completely on Chinese-made masks.
Therefore, the Abe administration demanded increased production from many manufacturers and finally came close to establishing a system capable of producing 700 million masks per month.
These were first sent with priority to medical institutions, facilities for the elderly, and facilities for people with disabilities.
Next, they were sent to elementary and junior high schools.
Then voices arose asking whether nothing would be provided to ordinary households, and the government decided to distribute 100 million masks, two per household.
The media does not report these circumstances, does not report what the government is doing and for what purpose, and instead manipulates impressions as if the government’s actions were foolish acts by the administration.

Protecting life, that is, the economy.

Regarding compensation for households and companies hit by the coronavirus shock, it has been pointed out that the Japanese government’s response is insufficient compared with that of other countries.
However, this criticism is completely off the mark.
The government has put forward measures that compare favorably with those of Western countries.
For companies and sole proprietors whose business performance has deteriorated and who have no choice but to order employees to take leave, the government has asked local governments to defer the collection of local taxes and has also established a deferral of social insurance premium payments.
It has also indicated a policy of expanding the Employment Adjustment Subsidy.
When a company orders employees to take leave, it must pay at least 60 percent of their wages, and the government will shoulder 90 percent of that amount.
If a company pays 100 percent of wages, the government will cover 90 percent.
Yasutoshi Nishimura, Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization, said on Genron TV, the internet program I host, to business owners across the country:
“Please pay the full amount, 100 percent, of wages to the employees you place on leave. The government will cover 90 percent of that.”
The government is also providing generous support to individuals.
For people in financial difficulty, from the previous fiscal year’s reserve fund, the government had already begun in January to lend 200,000 yen per month as emergency small-lot funds.
It is a “loan,” but if the circumstances are severe, repayment is not required.
In addition, through another system, there is a framework to lend 200,000 yen per month to households of two or more people.
Through both systems, over the three months from January to March, households of two or more people can borrow 800,000 yen, and repayment exemptions are also provided.
Furthermore, households whose income has declined will receive 300,000 yen.
Also, as mentioned earlier, social insurance premiums such as pensions and health insurance do not have to be paid for the time being.
Public utility charges such as electricity, gas, and water can also be deferred.
Of course, no delinquency tax is imposed.
Taken together, these measures reduce the burden on the average household by 120,000 to 130,000 yen.
In addition, single-person households in financial difficulty can receive rent assistance of around 50,000 yen.
Incidentally, the total amount of deferred payments, including national and local taxes, is said to be 26 trillion yen.
On top of that, unsecured and interest-free loans are also prepared.
These are relief measures that can be called lifelines for both business owners and employees.
Yet newspapers and television do not properly report these measures, and instead focus on the 300,000-yen payment per household, merely criticizing it by saying:
“The conditions are too strict.”
Since government public relations have limits, it is difficult to make policies widely known without the cooperation of the media.
Nevertheless, the current situation is that the media is stirring up public distrust toward the government.
This essay will continue.