Who Killed the Camera Man?

BANGKOK
It has been about a month after Hiro Muramoto, cameraman for Reuters, was killed in Thailand and no one knows who shot him. The government will not disclose any information about who killed him because it will put negative attitudes toward the country. The only problem is that by not saying who it is, they are already making themselves look bad.

Muramoto was 43 years old and a citizen of Japan. He was a cameraman for Reuters Tokyo for 15 years until he went to Bangkok to report on anti-government protests where he was shot in the head.

This shows that while Japan may be free and "safe" to conduct media activities, there are always going to be dangers within the industry. No one is safe when they leave their home country to report news.

To read this article, click here

Japan's Global Brands

Japan has a lot of different global brands that are known around the world. Japan is famous for its cars and electronics.

Here is a list of some of Japan's top global companies:

• Toyota
• Honda
• Sony
• Canon
• Nintendo

Here is a lost of other companies that are known around the world:

• Panasonic
• Nissan
• Toshiba
• Sharp
• Nikon
• Olympus
• Yamaha
• Casio
• Epson

Okinawa Base Protest

TOKYO
Over 90,000 people rallied opposing the relocation of the American air base in Okinawa. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama needs to resolve this issue; it is too bad that this problem is dividing the U.S. and Japan. At first you may think that it is strange that Okinawans are protesting against the relocation to a different part of the island, but there is more to the story,

Prime Minister Hatoyama promised during his elections to move the air base of the island completely, and now that he is just relocating it, people are getting angry. He has dropped in his approval ratings to under 30%, which is pretty bad for a Prime Minister. He promised his people something to get him elected, and now he is backing out of his promises...sounds like something familiar...

To read this article, click here

Foreign Correspondents

In class we had a guest speaker who talked about foreign correspondents. I thought I would blog about this because not only does this relate to journalism, but to Japan especially because he was a journalist overseas in Japan writing for the New York Times. I feel horrible that I have forgot his name, but we definitely discussed some important things in class with him that I feel are necessary to talk about in this blog.

First thing that we talked about was language. He was saying that to be a foreign correspondent, knowing a second language is critical if not required to even close to successful overseas. He said he just happened to know Japanese, and that is what got him in the door at New York Times. He said that not only for work can a second language be useful, but in life as a whole. I have always wanted to learn Japanese, and hopefully I will in the future.

Another topic we discussed was the pros and cons to being a foreign correspondent. Being a foreign correspondent is hard, but very special because not as many journalist can do it. It is dangerous because he traveled to places like North Korea undercover (sort of) and explained how he had to keep it a secret what he was doing there. But he said that it is an amazing experience and that he enjoyed doing it.

One question that I asked him before class ended was about how the Internet is affecting foreign correspondents. I noted that now, with the Internet takeover, people can just go online and find out what is happening in Japan from sources all over the world. Why would someone pay you to go over there when readers don't need you anymore? He said yes, the Internet has changed the game, but people do still enjoy reading from the perspective of a foreign correspondent like him.

Japan: FREE

I did some research on Japan's degree of freedom according to a few websites from class. It seems like Japan is a pretty free country when it comes to media and journalism. Here is what I found:

From the index of Freedom House:

• Legal Environment: 2
• Political Environment: 13
• Economic Environment: 6
• Political Rights Score: 1
• Civil Liberties Score: 2
• Status: FREE

From International Press Institute:

• Deaths since 2000: 1
• Rank by death: 53

Cameraman Killed

Reuters cameraman Hiro Muramoto was shot and killed in Thailand's capital of Bangkok filming an anti-government protest. The picture above is footage from Muramoto moments before he was shot. He was one of over 21 people that were killed in the protest.

This is a tragedy that shows the dangers of this kind of industry. Editor-in-chief on Reuters David Schlesinger states "I am dreadfully saddened to have lost our colleague Hiro Muramoto in the Bangkok clashes. Journalism can be a terribly dangerous profession as those who try to tell the world the story thrust themselves in the centre of the action."

It is scary to see this happen, but at the same time, it really reveals to people what risks journalist take to get the shot. They are taking these risks to show the world different up-close views, and that can sometimes lead to disaster, and this is evidence of that. It is a very controversial topic when you ask the question of if these people should be risking their lives for a shot.

RIP Hiro Muramoto

To read this article, click here or here

Pay-Per-Viewspaper

TOKYO

The largest newspaper company in Japan, Nikkei, has just followed the trend of charging viewers to access their online website. Not only do people have to pay for viewing articles, but linking to their articles from outside their website is restricted. This new policy may or may be beneficial to the company.

In order to even be allowed to link someone to their article, you have to apply with serious reasons. They have disabled to "right-click" on the website so that even the customers who do pay to view their articles are not allowed to copy the text or even the url. Doing so is not just prohibited, but will result in "seeking damages" from the newspaper.

This pay-per-view policy has set off the online community in Japan. While some people agree with the policy and believe that is the only way that the newspaper company will survive, others strongly disagree with it. Even the customers that pay do not get full access to the articles; to get the most information, you still have to buy their print newspaper for full details.

Especially with the attempt to get younger readers as customers, Nikkei should find a compromising medium so they can get more readers online. One person in the article said hat there should be a good mix between free content and fee content. They also said that with Japan's reputation for being number one in electronics, Japan's online tactics should be on top of the game, not following behind.

To read this article, click here

Toyota Chief Slammed

TOKYO

Japanese media is criticizing Toyota for their delayed response to the current car recall. Toyota's are being recalled for the accelerator failure in many of their cars, but Toyota has taken its time to deal with the problem. Toyota represents a major part of the Japanese car industry as well as Japan altogether, and this is giving them a really bad rep.

This shows that Toyota is not making this serious issue a priority. Japanese newspaper Nikkei commented that "Words are not enough. The company's crisis management ability is being subjected to sever scrutiny." A separate Japanese newspaper Asahi says that "The entire world is watching how Toyota can humbly learn from its series of recent failures and make safe cars".

To read this article, click here

Sorry Bluefin

WASHINGTON

Sorry bluefin, you lose another battle for your lives. The proposal by Monaco and the U.S. for banning bluefin tuna fishing. In the last 50 years the population worldwide for bluefin has declined 70%, but the scary fact is that 60% of that came from this last decade.

Unfortunately, this ban was rejected at a United Nations conference in Doha, so fishing for this diminishing species will continue for another year. Sushi restaurants and fish markets can do their part by not selling bluefin tuna, but as I work at multiple sushi restaurants, bluefin tuna is very popular among customers and businesses will continue to sell it.

To read this article, click here

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

In class we discussed changes in society, so I wanted to talk about changes in Japan's society. I also want to discuss the changes specifically after WWII, since that was a major event in Japan's history that is relatively recent and caused a swarm of changes.

After the devastating loss for the Japanese, everyone needed money to live. Families were changing by the role of women changing. Women started working and that allowed for their social status to rise. They gained more freedoms politically and socially. Family, which is a very significant ideal is Japanese culture was changed forever.

Also after WWII, many historically important Japanese cultures were outlawed. Kabuki theater and martial arts were made illegal. Emperor worship was replaced with democracy in schools. Hundreds of thousands of weapons such as samurai swords were given up because they were not allowed to teach the "samurai spirit" in schools anymore.

Japan is defined as a constitutional monarchy, which means that they do have an emperor, but with limited powers. The Diet, which is the Japanese parliament, has the most power and is formed through elections.

Conglomerates

A conglomerate in Japan is called a "keiretsu". This means a system or series of grouping enterprises with interlocking business relationships and shareholdings according to Wikipedia. There are three different types of keiretsu. The first is kigyo shudan, which means a horizontally intergrated busines. The second, seisan keiretsu, stands for a vertically integrated manufacturing network; the third ryutsu keiretsu stand for a vertically integrated distributing network.

Most conglomerates started out with their central banks that used its money to lend out to is other business enterprises. One of the most important events that has affected keiretsu is the recession in the 1990s. Many companies were hit by the drowning economy and other business picked them up through acquisitions.

Here is a list of some major Japanese keiretsu:

• Fuyo (Canon, Hitachi, Nissan, Yamaha)
• Mitubishi (Mitsubishi Motors, Kirin Brewery, Nippon Oil, Nikon)
• Toyoto (Toyota Motors, Lexus, Toyota Financial, Towa Real Estate)
• Mitsui (Fuji Film, Mitsui Real Estate, Toshiba)
• Dai-Ichi (Isuzu, Tokyo Electric Power, Fujitsu)
• Sumitomo (Kobe Steel, Toho, Konica Minolta, Hankyu Railway)

As with media, Japan is actually more stable compared to the U.S. and Europe when it comes to conglomerates. Japan's media was basically untouched by large corporations until Rupert Murdoch's Star TV came into the picture. Murdoch bought 20% of Asahi which is one of 5 major TV networks.

U.S. Air Base in Okinawa

OKINAWA
The Japanese government has realized that a U.S. air base that is located in Okinawa needs to be relocated. The Futenma Marine Corps air station is occupied by many of the 50,000 American military personnel in Japan. The problem is that Okinawa is a heavily populated city in Japan and this air base is having too much of an impact on the city's local residents and environment.

Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is trying to resolve this problem by attempting to relocate the air base. It will be very difficult to pass something that will make both Japan and the U.S. content, but it needs to be done. Hatoyama has set the deadline to resolve this problem by May; however, trying to come up with a solution in a couple months seems impossible.

To read this article, click here

Japan's Cultural Imperialism

This topic is so important when it comes to Japan. Especially in the country's capital, Tokyo, cultural imperialism surrounds Japan. Of course, most Japanese have Japanese as their primary language, but English is so essential for business in Tokyo. Most Japanese business men can understand and speak English too and that affects the way they live and work. Celebrities in the U.S. are so well-known in Japan that Japanese culture has a lot of American in it.

Even though it does not relate to journalism, fashion in the U.S. and around the world currently in based on Japanese ideals. Many current design in today's sportswear and fashion are heavily influenced by the Japanese. Right now, "Made in Japan" is synonymous for high-quality "in" trends. People want stuff from Japan because they are always on top of the newest trends and styles, just like in electronics. They are so far ahead of everywhere else that people want to follow them.

My favorite brand of eyewear right now is DITA LEGENDS, which is a Los Angeles based sunglasses company that manufactures all of their frames in Japan. Their sunglasses go from $400 up to $2,000 for one pair. Everything is handmade and show signs of perfection and quality.

CIA Knows Japan

I found some of this information quite interesting from the CIA website. Here are some facts I stole from the CIA, I hope they don't care or else I might not be attending class for some reason...(I hope I "disappear"!)

Background:

In 1603, after decades of civil warfare, the Tokugawa shogunate (a military-led, dynastic government) ushered in a long period of relative political stability and isolation from foreign influence. For more than two centuries this policy enabled Japan to enjoy a flowering of its indigenous culture. Japan opened its ports after signing the Treaty of Kanagawa with the US in 1854 and began to intensively modernize and industrialize. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional power that was able to defeat the forces of both China and Russia. It occupied Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin Island. In 1931-32 Japan occupied Manchuria, and in 1937 it launched a full-scale invasion of China. Japan attacked US forces in 1941 - triggering America's entry into World War II - and soon occupied much of East and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II, Japan recovered to become an economic power and an ally of the US. While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity, elected politicians hold actual decision-making power. Following three decades of unprecedented growth, Japan's economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s, but the country remains a major economic power. In January 2009, Japan assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2009-10 term.

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 215 (plus 370 repeaters), FM 89 (plus 485 repeaters), shortwave 21 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
211; note - in addition, US Forces are served by 3 TV stations and 2 TV cable services (1999)
Internet country code:
.jp
Internet hosts:
47.249 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 2
Internet users:
90.91 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 3

To read more, click here

BBC on Japan

I gathered up some general information from BBC's website that is useful to knowing a little more about Japan:

Full name: Japan

Population: 127.2 million (UN, 2009)

Capital: Tokyo

Area: 377,864 sq km (145,894 sq miles)

Major language: Japanese

Major religions: Shintoism, Buddhism

Life expectancy: 79 years (men), 86 years (women) (UN)

Monetary unit: yen

Main exports: Vehicles, computer parts, chemicals, scientific instruments and watches

GNI per capita: US $38,210 (World Bank, 2008)

Internet domain: .jp

International dialling code: +81

The press

• Asahi Shimbun - daily, English-language pages
• Yomiuri Shimbun - daily, English-language pages
• Mainichi Daily News - English-language pages
• Sankei Shimbun - daily
• Nikkei Net - English-language pages
• The Japan Times - English-language

Television

• NHK - public, operates the General TV, Educational TV channels. NHK also runs satellite channels BS-1 and BS-2 and high-definition TV (HDTV) network Digital Hi-Vision. NHK World is the organisation's international English-language channel.
• TV Asahi - national commercial network
• Fuji TV - national commercial network
• Nippon TV (NTV) - national commercial network
• Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) - national commercial network

Radio

• NHK - public, operates news/speech-based Radio 1, cultural/educational network Radio 2, classical music-based network FM Radio, external service Radio Japan
• Inter FM - Tokyo commercial music station
• J-Wave - Tokyo commercial music station
• Tokyo FM - Tokyo-based commercial network
• TBS Radio - network operated by Tokyo Broadcasting System

News agency

• Kyodo - English-language pages

To find out more, click here

こんにちは!

Konichiwa! Welcome to my blog on Japan and its media. I chose chose not because I am half Japanese, but because I have always been interested in Japan. It is synonymous for many things, one of them being fashion and another being technology. I am interested in both, and because of this, I chose Japan as my country of study.

Japan is referred to as the "Land of the Rising Sun". It is an island located in East Asia which consists of over 6,800 different islands. Japan has the world's second largest economy, which is probably due to its large population of 128 million. Japan has the world's highest life expectancy and a very high standard of living. It has many different areas within the country from the beautiful mountainsides to its skyscraper metropolitans.

The media is Japan is similar to ours here in the U.S.. Television, newspapers, magazines, and radio are all mediums that are used to spread the word. Just like over here, the rise and overall takeover of the Internet has lead to many changes in the way media is transmitted. Japan is pretty much free as a country in terms of journalism, which is great and how it should be.

Throughout this blog, I will be discussing many areas of interest. Most importantly, I will blog about how Japan's media relates to different topics that are discussed in our journalism class. Throughout the semester we will be going over different global media topics and with everything that we go through, Japan has its own way of doing things.