A sharp critique of Nikkei’s political editorial for ignoring the presumption of innocence, exposing the privileges of Japan’s press clubs, and assigning responsibility for Japan’s “Lost Two Decades” to the media, politicians, and the complacent public.
An angry open letter responding to a newspaper editorial, questioning who is truly responsible for Japan’s “lost 20 years.” The author harshly critiques the media’s practice of simply accepting information from those in power without seeking the truth and the politicians who prioritize popularity over substance. The letter also argues that a portion of the responsibility lies with a public that blindly follows media narratives and abandons critical thinking. By labeling the media’s disregard for the principle of “presumption of innocence” as “vulgar,” the author exposes the deep-seated problems plaguing Japan’s public discourse.

2011/2/1
This morning’s editorial by Akihiko Miyamoto, the political desk chief of the Nikkei newspaper, was, to me, the epitome of “vulgarity.” He’s probably a high-flyer at Nikkei, a political-insider type.

In the world of the internet, where people who want to see only facts and truth gather, the privileges and closed nature of the “kisha club” (press club), and the resulting manipulation of information by those in power, have been brought into the open.

I understand you want to show off the experience you’ve gained from your time as a political correspondent, but to say what you did today about a person who has clearly suffered more than just presumed innocence is not right.

If you have to say something, you should wait for the court’s verdict… And even if he’s acquitted and you still want to say, “I dislike him, he gets on my nerves,” you should say it then, openly. To say it today about a person who is more than just presumed innocent, who was strangely prosecuted, is the height of “vulgarity.”

Who is responsible for the past 20 years and for “now”…? The “lost 20 years” and “now” were created by a media that, to put it bluntly, barely ever investigated or verified the essence of events—what the media calls the 5W1H (five “hows,” one “why”). They simply wrote articles based on information given to them by the authorities or stood in front of television, which the majority of the public watch blindly, and gave pronouncements as if they were a righteous “Gekko Kamen.” The entire responsibility lies with the state of the Japanese media.

It goes without saying that the politicians who have consistently played to the media for popularity also bear an equally great responsibility.

In other words, the responsibility for the last 20 years and for “now” lies with those who have acted like self-righteous crusaders, wielding their sense of justice without ever getting to the bottom of things.

And sadly, or perhaps as a harsh karmic retribution, it also lies with the people who have blindly followed them…

You can’t blame the 90% of the working population who live their lives content with a lifetime earning ceiling of 5 million yen.

The greatest sin is shared by those who, even in the 21st century, suffer from the “craving-for-medals syndrome” and the local dignitaries who, despite donating large sums of money to places like Arashiyama or Daigoji for statues, banners, or tree plantings, never wish for peace for Japan or the world, or for Japan’s prosperity, but only pray for the security of their own families.