Category Archives: Media

Media watch: “Education and Nationalism”

Posted on July 4, 2022 by philipbrasor

Here is the link to our column for the July issue of the Number 1 Shimbun, which is about how the government’s textbook approval system has affected education in general.

Posted in Media | Leave a comment

Media watch: Putting a lid on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Posted on June 29, 2022 by philipbrasor

I didn’t see Tokyo 2020 Olympics Side:A, the first half of Naomi Kawase’s official documentary of last year’s games. From talking to others who had seen it, I gathered it contained the athletic footage for which most official Olympic docs … Continue reading →

Posted in Media | Tagged | 1 Comment

Media watch: You’re not in Kuroda’s league. You’re not even on the same planet

Posted on June 18, 2022 by philipbrasor

Japan’s weekly magazines and tabloids may not be bastions of journalistic integrity, but you can definitely count on them to stick it to the elites, especially those who toil in the public sector. On June 6, Bank of Japan Governor … Continue reading →

Posted in Media | Tagged | Leave a comment

Media watch: Are school-based sports clubs on the way out?

Posted on June 13, 2022 by philipbrasor

As the debate heats up on the government’s desire to increase Japan’s defense budget, some people on social media have been posting a quote by ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Tomomi Inada from 2016 when she was the defense minister. … Continue reading →

Posted in Media | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Media watch: LDP heavyweights scramble to kill own redistricting plan

Posted on May 28, 2022 by philipbrasor

For years, concerned citizens have asked Japanese courts to address the vote disparities that have plagued national elections since the electoral system was revamped nearly 30 years ago. In almost all the cases, judges have found that such disparities are … Continue reading →

Posted in Media | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Media watch: Trial of Utoro arson suspect receives scant coverage

Posted on May 19, 2022 by philipbrasor

May 16 was the first day of the criminal trial of Shogo Arimoto, the 22-year-old man arrested for starting a fire in the Utoro district of Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, last August. Arimoto admitted to all the charges, though he denies … Continue reading →

Posted in Media | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Media watch: Nothing new in Kishida’s new capitalism

Posted on May 17, 2022 by philipbrasor

The amount of cash that Japanese people keep as savings is legendary. At present, it roughly totals ¥1 quadrillion, an enormous sum and one that many people interpret as being a sign of frugality. Japanese people are averse to risk, … Continue reading →

Posted in Media, Money | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Media watch: Japan’s promotion of IR/casinos looking increasingly unrealistic

Posted on May 10, 2022 by philipbrasor

On April 20, the Wakayama Prefectural Assembly rejected an integrated casino resort project being promoted by the prefecture’s governor and other prominent politicians. That leaves just Osaka city and prefecture, and Nagasaki as localities that have said they will submit … Continue reading →

Posted in Media | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Media watch: What is behind mass killer Satoshi Uematsu’s change of heart to pursue a retrial?

Posted on May 4, 2022 by philipbrasor

On April 28, Mainichi Shimbun reported that Satoshi Uematsu, the 32-year-old man convicted in 2020 of killing 19 people at a facility for the disabled in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, had applied to the Yokohama District Court for a retrial. Mainichi’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Media | Tagged | 2 Comments

Media column May 2022

Posted on May 1, 2022 by philipbrasor

Here is our media column for the May issue of the Number 1 Shimbun, which is about a veteran reporter for the Asahi Shimbun who was punished for supposedly putting pressure on another publication on behalf of former prime minister … Continue reading →

Posted in Media | Tagged , | Leave a comment