Category Archives: Media

Media watch: Prince Hisahito’s rumored Todai ambitions aren’t getting any encouragement in the press

Posted on September 5, 2024 by philipbrasor

Though the Japanese media is invariably respectful and circumspect when it comes to the Imperial household, I’ve never gotten the impression that the general public, while respectful themselves, really harbors much affection for the royals. It may be simply a … Continue reading →

Posted in Media | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Media watch: NHK’s annual end-of-war anniversary special tackles propaganda

Posted on September 2, 2024 by philipbrasor

I’m about halfway through the second volume of Gary Giddins’ biography of Bing Crosby, which takes in “The War Years 1940-1946.” Crosby was at the peak of his stardom during this period, earning the highest income in Hollywood except for … Continue reading →

Posted in Media | Tagged | Leave a comment

Media watch: Koike again refuses to acknowledge Korean massacre

Posted on August 28, 2024 by philipbrasor

Sept. 1 marks the 101st anniversary of the Great Kanto Earthquake, and for the eighth year in a row, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike will not send a message of condolence to a group that holds a memorial ceremony for the … Continue reading →

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

Media watch: NHK critiques atomic bombing through dramatic proxy

Posted on August 25, 2024 by philipbrasor

Last week I interviewed a Japanese journalist for an industry publication about Japanese content sales overseas, in particular Japanese TV dramas. I brought up the current NHK morning drama series, or “asadora,” which is aired every weekday for 15 minutes … Continue reading →

Posted in Media | Tagged | Leave a comment

Media watch: Japan’s selective history on display again with new UNESCO World Heritage site

Posted on August 2, 2024 by philipbrasor

On July 27, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee agreed to register the Sado Island Gold Mines off the coast of Niigata Prefecture as a World Heritage Site, the 26th for Japan. Sado was at one time the largest gold mine … Continue reading →

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

Media watch: Korean and Japanese groups set to excavate disaster site with or without the government’s permission

Posted on July 22, 2024 by philipbrasor

In February 2022, we posted a piece about the 1942 Chosei coal mine disaster in Ube, Yamaguchi Prefecture, which killed 183 workers, 136 of them Koreans who had been brought to Japan. A local group was formed in 1991 and … Continue reading →

Posted in Media | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Media watch: Ministry throws cold water on local government’s registration of same sex couple

Posted on July 14, 2024 by philipbrasor

In May, a same sex couple made news when the city of Omura in Nagasaki Prefecture allowed them to be indicated as the equivalent of a common law couple in their resident certificate, or juminhyo. It is the first time … Continue reading →

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

Media watch: Will the new bills make their own existence unnecessary?

Posted on July 1, 2024 by philipbrasor

On July 3, the Bank of Japan will start circulating new paper currency, which is something it does every 20 years or so. The ostensible reason is to check counterfeiting, a Sisyphean task since the fact that the bank has … Continue reading →

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

Media watch: Residential streets finally recognized as war zones by the police

Posted on June 4, 2024 by philipbrasor

Last month, the National Police Agency announced it would halve vehicular speed limits on so-called seikatsu doro, meaning residential streets. In particular, the new limits would cover roads that pass through residential neighborhoods and which don’t have center lines or … Continue reading →

Posted in Media | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Media watch: Japan contends with the consequences of a sellers’ job market

Posted on May 30, 2024 by philipbrasor

A front page story in the May 25 print edition of the Asahi Shimbun reported that the overwhelming recruitment rate for new graduates continued this spring, with 98.1 percent of people graduating from universities in 2024 securing work, the highest … Continue reading →

Posted in Media | Tagged , | Leave a comment