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.
Edited by:
Jeff Kingston (Temple University Japan)
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 156mm,
Spine: 23mm
Weight: 544g
ISBN: 9781138189591
ISBN 10: 1138189596
Pages: 322
Publication Date: 12 December 2016
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Primary
,
A / AS level
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
"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"
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).
