Comparing newspaper coverage at the end of 2015, the author reflects on media narratives and public perception. Set against a clear morning in Arashiyama, a conversation with a friend becomes an occasion to consider the responsibilities and tone of journalism.

2015-12-29
Any Japanese citizen with sound judgment and a clear mind must surely have recognized anew the abnormal nature of this newspaper.

Among those who read both the Asahi Shimbun and the Sankei Shimbun today, those still subscribing to Asahi or Mainichi should switch their subscriptions without hesitation.

The reason goes without saying.

Today’s Asahi Shimbun had pages that felt as though they belonged to wartime.

With no sign of reflection on how the seeds they themselves had sown had produced such misguided results—and instead writing with an air as if to insist that their own assertions had been correct—any reader with a rational mind must have once again perceived the abnormality of this paper.

This morning’s weather was close to perfectly clear.

I headed to Arashiyama, which I regard as the garden of my home.

I met my friend at Kyoto Station.

The moment we stepped out of Arashiyama Station, my friend burst out in anger toward the Asahi.

I felt exactly the same, but anger is not good for one’s health, and my friend knew well that it was foolish under such beautiful weather.

So I said:

Quoting from an article by a female reporter in the Sankei Shimbun that had written something entirely reasonable…
“The Japanese government would not be late in executing contributions to the foundation after confirming concrete actions by South Korea toward resolving the issue, such as the removal of comfort-women statues installed in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul.”
(Seoul, Makiko Takita).

This female reporter is many times more a genuine journalist than the female reporters of Asahi or Nikkei, and naturally a mature adult.

Her article demonstrated that she possessed a sound and authentic intellect of her own—neither borrowed nor distorted by ideological bias.

It goes without saying that my friend felt exactly the same.

To be continued.