An essay dated June 10, 2019.
This piece argues that the Asahi Shimbun’s manipulative reporting on the Fukushima nuclear accident changed the tone of global coverage by outlets such as The New York Times, the BBC, and Korean media, ultimately damaging the honor of the Japanese people as a whole.
It sharply exposes the link between Japan’s postwar media structure and anti-Japan narratives abroad.

2019-06-10
In this way, Asahi succeeded in moving the world’s media.
Foreign media, which until then had praised the courage shown by the Japanese people in the nuclear accident, completely changed their stance in response to the report.

What follows is the continuation of the previous chapter.
Middle omitted.
In any case, because of this article, crafted through skillful impression manipulation, media throughout the world reacted strongly.
“In 2011, despite orders, workers who had fallen into panic fled from the Fukushima nuclear plant.”
When The New York Times reported under such a headline, Britain’s BBC also quickly reported, “The Asahi Shimbun has reported that about 90 percent of the workers at the Fukushima nuclear plant fled while the danger of meltdown was fast approaching.”
Meanwhile, Korean media, known for moving in tandem with Asahi’s reporting, were once again quick.
“At the time of the Fukushima accident, staff members defied orders and escaped from the nuclear plant.” (Yonhap News)
“Japan’s version of the Sewol… At the time of the Fukushima accident, staff members defied orders and escaped from the nuclear plant.” (Kookmin Ilbo)
Such reports appeared one after another, and the May 21 issue of Economic Review commented,
“Japanese media organizations and intellectuals, who until now had belittled Korea by saying that the ‘Sewol disaster’ ‘stemmed from the selfish national character of Koreans’ and ‘showed that Korea remains a backward country as ever,’ and had praised themselves for the Japanese samurai spirit that sacrifices the individual for the group, were enveloped in great shock by Asahi’s report.”
In this way, Asahi succeeded in moving the world’s media.
Foreign media, which until then had praised the courage shown by the Japanese people in the nuclear accident, completely changed their stance in response to the report.
Asahi truly succeeded in “degrading the Japanese people.”
To be continued.