For years, ever since leaving Doshisha University, Shinpei Ishii worked for TV Man Union Inc. Then in 1989, tired of kowtowing to authority and wanting to write and speak out freely, he went freelance. It was a good move. He won an award for a program made for NTV and acclaim for literary translations, especially books by Ian Buruma, including his "Wages of Guilt: Memories of War in Germany and Japan."
"These days, it's more difficult to make a living," Shinpei says, having cycled from his home in Kamakura. Tall, wearing a hunting cap, he cuts an imposing figure striding around trying to find a quiet place to talk. "It gets harder to fill my rice bowl, and I'm a big eater."
He survives by writing a monthly book review for Shukan Asahi and a regular column on Japan's fast-aging society for Nihon Keizai Shimbun. He also acts as a DJ for Shonan Beach FM, an Internet radio station that can be picked up anywhere in the world. Tune into "Cabin Talk," Saturdays from 10 to 11 p.m. for jazz from the 1950s and '60s interspersed with casual talk spiked with sharp political messages.