The domestic media's penchant for focusing on political power games instead of policies is hampering the ruling Democratic Party of Japan's attempts to govern, veteran correspondent and Japan expert Karel van Wolferen said Tuesday.
Van Wolferen, best known for his 1989 work "The Enigma of Japanese Power" and a series of books on Japanese politics, business and society, was at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo to speak about the nation's political situation, as well as to talk about his latest book, "America's Tragedy and the Blind Free World," which explores the global effects of U.S. foreign and economic policies.
"Japanese political reporting essentially has been about rivalry among the 'habatsu' (factions)," van Wolferen said.
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