This essay examines controversies surrounding media coverage of the Fukushima disaster, critiques perceived distortions in reporting, and discusses the broader information struggle involving Japan, South Korea, and domestic media narratives. It reflects on journalism, accountability, and the contemporary information environment.

2019-02-18
When the Asahi Shimbun published what I regard as fabricated reporting about the records of TEPCO Fukushima plant chief Yoshida, who devoted himself to his work for Japan and effectively died in the line of duty from overwork…

A well-read friend who watched what he described as shameless rebuttal footage from South Korea on the news said this to me.
The chapter I posted on 2019-01-08 with that theme has now ranked 12th in Ameba’s official hashtag ranking for SEO.

My friend said.
“…South Korea reads your ‘Civilization Turntable’ more than anyone.
The fact that a country so attentive to hierarchy is reading your essays proves how significant your work is…”

Although I felt slightly embarrassed by such words, the moment I saw the news about South Korea adding Arabic and other languages to its messaging strategy, I felt exactly what my friend had pointed out.
I also replied that whenever I write something inconvenient for South Korea, they appear to use so-called SEO tactics to target my blog.

NHK’s Watch9, in response to South Korea’s recent actions, has said nothing that Japan as a nation or the Japanese people should say.
It has not reported the truth.

Meanwhile, I read in the weekly magazine Seiron an article by Kadota Ryusho.
He is one of the leading journalists of our time.
When the Asahi Shimbun ran its long series “The Prometheus Trap” to shape anti-nuclear sentiment,
and when it published what I consider fabricated reporting about Yoshida, who devoted his life to Japan,
he was the journalist who pointed out that those reports were fabrications.

In addition to the revelation that the comfort-women reporting had been false, this became the decisive blow.
Five years ago, in August, the Asahi Shimbun held a press conference of apology and its president resigned.

The fact that we did not push for the newspaper’s closure at that time is, in my view, the real reason such conduct continues even now.
To be continued.