Press Freedom in Contemporary Japan

by Jeff Kingston (Editor)

Overview

In twenty-first century Japan there are numerous instances of media harassment, intimidation, censorship and self-censorship that undermine the freedom of the press and influence how the news is reported. Since Abe returned to power in 2012, the recrudescence of nationalism under his leadership has emboldened right-wing activists and organizations targeting liberal media outlets, journalists, peace museums and ethnic Korean residents in Japan. This ongoing culture war involves the media, school textbooks, constitutional revision, pacifism and security doctrine.

This text is divided into five sections that cover:

• Politics of press freedom;
• The legal landscape;
• History and culture;
• Marginalization;
• PR, public diplomacy and manipulating opinion.

Press Freedom in Contemporary Japan brings together contributions from an international and interdisciplinary line-up of academics and journalists intimately familiar with the current climate, in order to discuss and evaluate these issues and explore potential future outcomes. It is essential reading for anyone wishing to understand contemporary Japan and the politics of freedom of expression and transparency in the Abe era. It will appeal to students, academics, Japan specialists, journalists, legal scholars, historians, political scientists, sociologists, and those engaged in human rights, media studies and Asian Studies.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138647039
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	12/12/2016
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Jeff Kingston is Professor of History and Director of Asian Studies at Temple University, Japan. He is the author of Japan's Quiet Transformation (2004) and Contemporary Japan (2011).

Table of Contents

Introduction

Part I: The Politics of Press Freedom

1. Media Muzzling under the Abe Administration

2. The Right-Wing Media and the Rise of Illiberal Politics in Japan

3. A Pooch After All? The Asahi Shimbun’s Foiled Foray into Watchdog Journalism

4. The Hatoyama Administration and the Outing of the Establishment Media

5. NHK: The Changing and Unchanged Politics of Semi-Independence

6. Abe and Press Oppression: Guilty, Not Guilty or Not Proven? Michael

Part II: Legal Landscape

7. Chilling Effects on News Reporting in Japan’s "Anonymous Society"

8. Japan’s Designated Secrets Law

9. State Secrets and Freedom of the Press in Japan

Part III: History and Culture wars

10. Press Freedom Under Fire: "Comfort Women", the Asahi Affair and Uemura Takashi

11. Letter Campaigns, the Japanese Media, and the Effort to Censor History

12. Remanufacturing Consent: History, Nationalism and Popular Culture in Japan

13. NHK, War-related Television, and the Politics of Fairness

14. Pointing the Bone: A Personal Account of Media Repression in Japan

15. Tabloid nationalism and racialism in Japan

Part IV: Marginalization

16. Media Marginalization and Vilification of Minorities in Japan

17. Media Side-lines the sit-in protest in Takae, Okinawa

18. A Historical Perspective on Press Freedom in Okinawa

Part V: PR, Public Diplomacy and Manipulating Opinion

19. Spin over Substance? The PR Strategies of Vladimir Putin and Abe Shinzo

20. Japan’s Global Information War: Propaganda, Free Speech and Opinion Control Since 3/11

21. The Japan Lobby, Press Freedom and Public Diplomacy