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Okinawa Gov Takeshi Onaga, blasting comments made at a Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) study session that two local Okinawa newspapers should be shut down over their critical coverage of security bills now before the Diet. (Mainichi Shimbun)

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Perhaps the only issue the good Governor and I agree with. The Times and Shimpo cannot be considered "newspapers" in the conventional sense - they're more like tabloids that print salacious gossip, in this case the most anti-US/anti central government vitriol they can find. But just like a tabloid at a checkout counter, the government should have no say in what they can print, and any thinking otherwise, specifically in Japan's case, just leads to a path back to the 1930s.........

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the government should have no say in what they can print, and any thinking otherwise, specifically in Japan's case, just leads to a path back to the 1930s.........

Well said. And with columnist like Ayako Sano, perhaps the LDP should shut down Sakei Shimbun while their at it. But we know that ain't gona happen-

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Japanese freedom of speech is a bit of a tenuous concept.

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The Ryukyu Shimpo and Okinawa Times are respected newspapers on Okinawa and I do not believe you will see them referred to as tabloids in any legitimate publication. Ryukyu Shimpo was founded in 1893 by Sho Jun, a former prince of the Ryukyu Kingdom. They do not print the most anti-US/Central Govt. vitriol they can. I personally have seen articles in both papers about Military personnel who go to orphanages and do repairs and cleanup, about giving toys to orphans at Christmas, about the beach cleanups and about the Special Olympics that are held on base. If there is a local person who has his life saved by someone from the base then that is covered. Anytime the Military does something good for the local community if it is reported to the local press, they will cover it.

The Okinawan people are not anti U.S. but they are anti-U.S. Military base and if you have ever been to Okinawa or lived there, you would understand why. Maybe once the U.S. Military and the Central Govt. start showing some respect to the people of Okinawa and start taking their situation into consideration then maybe their attitude will change toward them.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

japan4life,

Well said! And if anyone is wrongly influenced by lincolnman's PR line above, I suggest they check out the English version of the Ryukyu Shimpo themselves and make up their own minds.

Onaga is right to be angry about this.

I wish he were PM in place of Abe. Japan would be in a much better place if he were.

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Oh please, everyone knows the Times and Shimpo are owned and controlled by the far left elites on the island - and that they continually skew and misrepresent anything having to do with the US military presence.

As to their legitimacy, let's allow them to speak for themselves - what did both papers say about Operation Tomodachi, a Humanitarian and Disaster Relief effort where the US partnered with Japan after the Mar 11 earthquake and tsunami, contributing 24,000 U.S. service members, 189 aircraft, and 24 naval ships; at a cost of $90 million.

Tthe Ryukyu Shinpo criticized the U.S. Marine humanitarian assistance as a “tool for political manipulation and an attempt] to gain the support of the Japanese people to keep the FRF within Okinawa.” The Shinpo editorialized that the U.S. statements highlighting the benefits of having the Marines available to assist Japan was “very discomforting” and “tricks.” The Okinawan Times chimed in as well, posturing that the U.S. was using the disaster as a “political tool [to] manipulate our political decision-making…. [I]t is something we cannot allow."

The fact that both papers could not look beyond their narrow partisan interests, and criticized an effort that brought comfort to and saved numerous lives of their own fellow countrymen, clearly shows they lack any journalistic integrity - they belong at the checkout line.........but they should be free of any government interference to print whatever drivel they want.....

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

lincolnman,

I wonder why so many brainwashed Americans immediately yell "far left," and "communist" whenever they come across the slightest opposition?

Okinawans want the burden reduced. Their island is forced to "host" the largest proportion of US military when the land area is only 0.6% of the whole of Japan.

Onaga represents Okinawans on this. That's why he was elected.

He is a brilliant and hard hitting politician. A rarity in Japan.

The Okinawa Times and Ryukyu Shimpo are the popular newspapers in Okinawa. People buy them because they reflect their opinions.

It's nothing to do with whether they are left or right, North, South, East or West.

Get rid of these two newspapers and what do you have left?

The government line as represented by NHK at al.

As Onaga said, "Freedom of speech is the element of democracy that must be protected most."

Without that, there is no democracy.

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I wonder why so many brainwashed Americans immediately yell "far left," and "communist" whenever they come across the slightest opposition?

And I wonder why the anti-US crowd consistently engage in name-calling and innuendo. I merely said the two papers’ owners were left wing, which describes their political views, yet you say all Americans are “brainwashed”. And as typical with these papers, you add flourish instead of facts – nowhere did I say anything about “communists”.

Okinawans want the burden reduced. Their island is forced to "host" the largest proportion of US military when the land area is only 0.6% of the whole of Japan.

So does the US and the central govt – that’s why they concluded the ATARA agreement in 2006, which has been consistently stalled by local politicians and left wing groups. Let’s get on with moving Futenma and giving the land back, let’s get on with closing and returning Camp Kinser and large portions of Camp Foster. The US and central govt are ready – it’s the anti-base crowd, to include the good Governor, that are stalling all these returns.

The Okinawa Times and Ryukyu Shimpo are the popular newspapers in Okinawa. People buy them because they reflect their opinions.

I would only note the National Inquirer is also quite popular….

Get rid of these two newspapers and what do you have left?

Again, added flourish – I said nothing about getting rid of them.

And another tactic of these papers – ignore facts that don’t fit with your narrative – why no comments on these two papers editorials on Operation Tomodachi?

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@ lincolnman JUL. 02, 2015 - 09:18PM JST

The fact that both papers could not look beyond their narrow partisan interests, and criticized an effort that brought comfort to and saved numerous lives of their own fellow countrymen, clearly shows they lack any journalistic integrity

Your information is incorrect, lincolnman.

The two papers didn't criticize the Tomodachi effort at all, what they criticized was the effort to justify the Futenma base and also the relocation to Henoko by US military officials using Operation Tomodachi. This are two very different animals.

It is exactly this kind of distortions that support hate speech and undermine freedom of press in Japan.

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Your information is incorrect, lincolnman.

My information is incorrect? I quoted excerpts from the actual published editorials - you quoted nothing. If you think they're incorrect, post your version of the editorials with appropriate citations.

The two papers didn't criticize the Tomodachi effort at all, what they criticized was the effort to justify the Futenma base and also the relocation to Henoko by US military officials using Operation Tomodachi. This are two very different animals.

Didn't criticize the effort? Please re-read this quote from the editorial - it stated Operation Tomodachi was a “tool for political manipulation" - even the Asahi, hardly a pro-US outlet, had the integrity to recognize the US effort and the lives that it saved. No such integrity from the Times or Shimpo........

It is exactly this kind of distortions that support hate speech and undermine freedom of press in Japan.

Again, how long have you worked for the Times/Shimpo?

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

the Ryukyu Shinpo criticized the U.S. Marine humanitarian assistance as a “tool for political manipulation and an attempt] to gain the support of the Japanese people to keep the FRF within Okinawa.”

Do you know which article this is supposed to refer to? I never read such a direct critic of the disaster help efforts in the Okinawa Times or the Ryukyu Shinpo.

Maybe it is about the following Ryukyu Shinpo article from 2011年3月17日:

http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-174865-storytopic-3.html

The article first describes the involvement of Okinawa stationed US military in the operation Tomodachi. Further it says that the military command in Okinawa emphasizes the importance of Futenma in regard to the Tohoku disaster relief operation, but doubts the validity of such statements because of Okinawas distance from Tohoku. It goes on to cite a Okinawa International University professor who said "While disaster support is appreciated it is not appropriate to emphasize [that Futenma is in a predominant geographical position for such purposes]"

If you can read Japanese just take a look at it yourself. It nowhere criticizes the disaster help as such, but only the PR spinning efforts by the US military in Okinawa to use Tomodachi in order to justify Futenmas existence.

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bam_boo is spot on. There is no criticism of Operation Tomodachi itself at all in the article, only criticism of the inappropriate political propaganda.

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There is no criticism of Operation Tomodachi

I never read such a direct critic of the disaster help efforts in the Okinawa Times or the Ryukyu Shimpo.

Well, then read below.........

"The Ryukyu Shinpo newspaper (March 18th) was critical: “Why is Futenma base, which is located so far away from the areas affected by the earthquake, important now? It took three days to dispatch units, so saying “immediate response” sounds very strange.” Okinawa Times (April 9th) criticized the discussion linking the Marine Corps response to the disaster and the continued existence of the Marine Corps base in Okinawa as “political use of the earthquake”.

Neither of these two newspapers had the decency or integrity to just say "thank you for helping rescue and save our fellow countrymen".

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Let's see now, Operation Tomodachi. Wasn't that the one where the "Tomodachi" tried to bring a class action against TEPCO?

With "Tomodachi" like that, who needs teki (enemies)?

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Well, then read below.........

Well, that's quite exactly what I said. The Okinawan news papers did not criticize the disaster help, but the PR effort of the US military in relation to the bases in Okinawa. At least you are getting closer to the facts now, lincolnman.

Neither of these two newspapers had the decency or integrity to just say "thank you for helping rescue and save our fellow countrymen".

To start with, maybe the US could have the decency or integrity to admit that it took a large part of the US base land on Okinawa in an illegal way from its rightful owners and apologize for that inhuman behavior?

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Well, that's quite exactly what I said. The Okinawan news papers did not criticize the disaster help, but the PR effort of the US military in relation to the bases in Okinawa. At least you are getting closer to the facts now, lincolnman.

That's not what you said, your inability to admit you were in error is telling, but I understand that when your only source of news are two propaganda organs - you lose the ability to reason and think thoughtfully.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

That's not what you said, your inability to admit you were in error is telling,

Sorry, but I don't get what you mean by "That's not what you said". Could you tell me precisely what you mean by error? Could it be that your are not thoroughly reading my posts?

I'm just repeating the same argument, which is that the Ryukyu Shinpo didn't criticize the disaster help as such, and I don't see where you provided us with anything proving this claim wrong.

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