Japanese media figures who failed to challenge China’s fabricated anti-Japan propaganda were praised by Asahi Shimbun as being “critical.”
Such behavior was neither critical nor journalistic.
True sharp criticism belongs to writers who confront facts without compromise.

2016-02-03

The Chinese Communist Party’s one-party dictatorship has continuously used anti-Japan propaganda as justification for its own existence.
Through this process of education, it has constructed fabricated and absurd “Anti-Japanese Memorial Halls” across China to display false narratives.

I came to understand this clearly through the writings of Masayuki Takayama.

When journalists from Asahi Shimbun and all of the television program hosts mentioned in the previous chapter, including Hiroshi Kume, who undoubtedly received the highest appearance fees among them, were guided through these memorials by Chinese officials, none of them pointed out that the exhibits contradicted historical facts.

Takayama keenly observed and described that even the Chinese guides themselves appeared to know that much of what they were presenting was fabricated.
Yet when asked, officials of appropriate rank within the Communist Party responded that all famous Japanese commentators had acknowledged these exhibits, apologized to China, and stated that they were sorry as Japanese.

Asahi Shimbun went so far as to describe such hosts as being “sharp-tongued.”

In reality, they were nothing more than an assembly of the most naive individuals imaginable.
It would benefit both the Japanese public and the world to understand this clearly.

To denounce one’s own nation, its government, its people, and its culture, while labeling such behavior as “anti-authority,” and praising it as sharp criticism or journalistic duty, is nothing but childish foolishness.

The mission of journalism is to report facts accurately and truthfully.
It is doubtful whether Asahi Shimbun even recognizes this basic principle.

Admitting this truth would amount to denying Asahi Shimbun’s entire history and pronouncing its own end.
Unable to do so, the paper continues to survive by repeatedly undermining and attacking the Japanese government, aligning itself with the intentions of China and South Korea, and favoring individuals influenced by their intelligence agencies.

This is a group that is childish precisely because it is malicious.

Needless to say, the term “sharp-tongued” should be reserved for individuals such as Masayuki Takayama and Nobuyuki Kaji.

Honorifics omitted.