An examination of biased Western media coverage of Japan, focusing on misused political labels and the unfair portrayal of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

A dialogue between R. Kimmonds and Yoshihisa Komori examines persistent bias in Western media coverage of Japan, the misuse of political labels, and the distorted portrayal of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

2017-03-17
The latest issue of the monthly magazine Voice is filled with must-read essays for all Japanese citizens.
And at only 780 yen, everyone should head to the nearest bookstore to purchase it.
Special Feature: Dislike of the Media.
Still Calling It Abe Fascism.
“Western Media Coverage of Japan Is Rife with Bias.”
Under this title, an eight-page, two-column dialogue between R. Kimmonds and Yoshihisa Komori is published.
Inverted Use of Words.
Komori.
R. Kimmonds is a scholar specializing in Japanese history, particularly social and intellectual history.
He completed his doctoral studies at the prestigious University of Wisconsin in the United States and wrote The Self-Made Man in Meiji Japanese Thought based on his dissertation.
He further pursued research at the University of Sheffield in the UK, and since 1999 has served as a specially appointed professor at Taisho University in Japan.
Notably, Kimmonds has for many years analyzed how Western media report on Japan, compiling a research report titled “The Image of Japan in Overseas Media.”
From my long years covering American politics and diplomacy in Washington, I have felt exactly the same problem regarding the nature of coverage about Japan.
Especially in liberal media such as The New York Times, reporting is conducted based on images close to prejudice against Japan, and even within academia, many American scholars involved in Japanese studies somehow hold distorted images of Japan.
For example, American media have repeatedly attacked Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with derogatory labels such as “right-wing,” “militarist,” and “historical revisionist.”
And they have done so without clear evidence.
This damages not only Abe personally but also Japan’s international image, and cannot be overlooked.
How do you see this, Mr. Kimmonds?
Kimmonds.
I too have seen many articles describing Prime Minister Abe as a “fascist” or a “nationalist.”
Recently his image seems to have improved thanks to President Trump becoming the villain（笑）。
However, as you say, in the West Abe is still discussed in the context of fascism or nationalism.
But fundamentally, does any country exist whose government leader is not a nationalist?
If such a country did exist, that would be the real problem.
Moreover, in American academia, the term “revisionist” often refers to liberal scholars who challenge traditional historical views.
In Japan, the right is often criticized as “historical revisionists,” but in America the usage of the word is the opposite（笑）。
Komori.
Incidentally, the meaning of “left-wing” in Japan and “liberal” in the United States also differs somewhat.
In the US, it does not mean communists or socialists as in Japan, but rather people who favor freedom and openness while assigning a large role to government, and who are critical of traditional values and history.
In that sense, Mr. Kimmonds would be neither right-wing nor left-wing（笑）。
I learned about Mr. Kimmonds through NBR, an online forum site of the National Bureau of Asian Research.
Overall, the tone of commentary posted on NBR is strongly critical of Japan, and I myself have been targeted by bashing.
Yet even among those, I remember being surprised to see Kimmonds’ calm comments and thinking, “Are there American Japan scholars with such an undistorted perspective?”
Kimmonds.
Based on my long experience living in the UK, from a common European viewpoint I consider Abe to be center-right.
Calling him right-wing evokes, in Japan, the image of people riding around town in trucks blasting military songs while wearing uniforms.
In Britain and the US, “right wing” refers to those who believe “the smallest government is the best government” and promote limited government, such as former UK Prime Minister Thatcher.
Specifically, it refers to politicians who advocate privatization and deregulation to reduce fiscal spending.
If Prime Minister Abe were “right-wing” by the American definition, he would immediately abolish Japan’s universal health insurance system, ban abortion, legalize prayer in classrooms, and permit gun ownership.
However, none of these apply to Abe’s policies.
American media that even call him a “fascist” seem merely to be pulling out simplistic words just to criticize Abe.
This manuscript continues.