Taro Yamoto and Japan’s new political party, Reiwa Shinsengumi is getting more reputations currently.
Many say that mainstream media coverage on them before the election was over was almost nothing , but their influence got powerful from social media, especially Twitter.
I think a reason that they are being supported stems from the inclusiveness shown by Taro Yamamoto.
Being inclusive is an important and essential characteristic. A video shared impressively on Twitter on which Taro Yamamoto was saying that “I do want everyone to live”[1] after a heckling to his speech in election campaign has shown his inclusiveness.
Upload: 22 July 2019, Last update: 5 September 2019
Japan’s media is not independent enough.
According to the World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, the transition of Japan’s press freedom ranking from 2010 to 2019 is as follows.
Japan
Source
2019
67
[1]
2018
67
[2]
2017
72
[3]
2016
72
[4]
2015
61
[5]
2014
59
[6]
2013
53
[7]
2011-2012
22
[8]
2010
11
[9]
The UN special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression Mr. David Kaye —“… the UN Human Rights Council appointed … “[10] “in August 2014″[11]—came to Japan “from 12 to 19 April 2016″[12], his original visit scheduled in December 2015 was canceled because the government was busy with “budgeting season”[13].
Especially in his report[14] and a press conference at Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan (FCCJ) on 19 April 2016[15], David Kaye pointed out many issues Japan have while mentioning that Japan has “a high degree of freedom online”[16] and “presents an important model in the area of freedom on the Internet”[17].
One of the concerns Japan’s media have is Kisha club system. Japan’s media in general has strong aspect of access journalism. For reporters of major news corporations, Kisha club is useful to get information directly from authorities, but I think this is a reason that main stream media is dependent on this structure and Japan’s media has strong tendency of access journalism. Authorities benefits since major media companies convey their perspectives to the public. Both major companies and authorities, it helps for giving information from authorities perspective and posing questions and getting information directly in terms of reporters, but there’s room for improvement for maximizing public interests. In particular, it should allow people working in journalism not belonging to non-major media companies to participate equally. In Japan, Chief Cabinet Secretary or Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary participates in press conference every weekday. This seems facilitating the right to know of the public, but I do think the quality of its press conference matters and has to be ameliorated.
With regard to the structure of TV broadcasting, the current structure that Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) can suspend the broadcasting of TV stations must be abolished. On 8 February, 2016, in the budgeting committee of the House of Representatives, the then Minister of MIC, Sanae Takaichi didn’t deny the possibility of suspending it[18].
It seems to me that the obedience of Japanese media in general as well as citizens have negative aspects in journalism.
[12] Freedom of Opinion and Expression – Annual reports. Symbol Number: A/HRC/35/22/Add.1. Title: Addendum: Mission to Japan. Accessed 19 June 2019. p.2
[13] David Kaye’s press conference at The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan on 19 April 2016. The video is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4Ldjp9XegI Accessed 19 June 2019. 57:50-
[14] A/HRC/35/22/Add.1.
[15] David Kaye’s press conference at The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan on 19 April 2016. The video is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4Ldjp9XegI Accessed 19 June 2019.
[16] A/HRC/35/22/Add.1. p5. And in his FCCJ press conference he touched on this point as well.
[17] A/HRC/35/22/Add.1. p17
[18]http://www.shugiin.go.jp/internet/itdb_kaigirokua.nsf/html/kaigirokua/001819020160208009.htm Accessed 27 July 2019
Some of people made great achievements or famous celebrities sometimes meet Prime Minister or President.
Megan Rapinoe, co-captain of US women national soccer team, in her interview by CNN available and posted on 9 July 2019 on their YouTube mentioned that “it’s an opportunity … to sort of put us on display as their you know sort of guest for the day and I don’t think that makes sense for us at all”[1]. This excerpt is just a part of her interview and the full-interview was really impressive including her message to president.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe tweeted on 12 May 2019 that he met Japanese popular entertainment group TOKIO[2].
I understand that inviting those who made great achievements is on one hand to celebrate what they have accomplished, I do not say that celebrities should not meet PM/President but every citizen and those who might be invited should keep in mind that there’s another possible reason as Megan Rapinoe told.
These days, nationalism/anti-globalization is getting powerful — the politics of Donald Trump, Marine Le Pen and Rassemblement National (RN) in France, and the movement of Brexit, to name a few.
Notre Dame Cathedral got fired around 6:50pm on 15 April 2019[1]. This incident got international attention. It triggered the further anger of Yellow vests demonstrators.
L'histoire de mes pensées 