Tag - censorship

 
 

CENSORSHIP

COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
May 2, 2015
Foreign media feels the heat from prickly government minders
Last month, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung journalist Carsten Germis wrote about the Japanese government harassing him just for doing his job. In his view, the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is overly sensitive to criticism, especially reporting about what Germis calls "a move by the right to...
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 30, 2015
China rhetoric emboldens business critics
Private entrepreneurs in China are voicing unprecedented criticism of government, encouraged by policies and rhetoric from Beijing emphasizing support for the most productive sectors of the economy.
EDITORIALS
Apr 13, 2015
Textbooks toe the government line
The government would do well to remember that uniform textbooks compiled by the state during and before World War II went hand in hand with Japan's militarism.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 4, 2015
Koga's parting shot may not hit its target
In February, Reporters Without Borders published its annual list of countries ranked in terms of press freedom. Japan came in at No. 61, down two places from the previous year and lower than Taiwan (51) and South Korea (60). The reason for the decline was the state secrets act, which came into force...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 27, 2015
$50 media player making waves in changing North Korea
A $50 portable media player is providing many North Koreans a window to the outside world despite the government's efforts to keep its people isolated, a symbol of change in one of the world's most repressed societies.
WORLD
Mar 17, 2015
Thai women warned against taking 'underboob selfies'
Thailand's military government warned women on Monday against posting "selfie" photos of the lower half of their breasts — a social media trend that has gone viral — saying their actions could violate the country's computer crime laws.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Mar 4, 2015
U.S. author recounts 'lecture' he got about 'comfort women' from uninvited Japanese guests
The American historian whose book has been slammed by the Japanese government for its content on WWII sex slaves speaks out.
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Mar 4, 2015
Stance on 'comfort women' undermines fight to end wartime sexual violence
The prime minister's declarations on preventing sexual violence in wartime fly in the face of his government's refusal to recognize Japan's responsibilities toward the 'comfort women.'
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Mar 4, 2015
India bans documentary about 2012 Delhi gang rape
A documentary film about the fatal gang rape of a woman in New Delhi in 2012 has been banned in India over concerns that derogatory comments made by one of the rapists could create an atmosphere of fear and tension, a police official said.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media
Feb 25, 2015
Under Abe's reign, media self-censorship in Japan is rising
Worries are growing in Japan about a trend toward media self-censorship as journalists and experts say news organizations are toning down criticism of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government for fear of sparking ire and losing access to sources.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Feb 14, 2015
Aso's yen remarks edited in website posting by Finance Ministry
Some comments made by Finance Minister Taro Aso last month on the benefits of a weaker yen are missing in an outline of his remarks posted on his ministry's website.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 11, 2015
Is Japanese cinema sinking into a self-censorship swamp?
One great thing about living in Japan is the consideration, or omoiyari, people here commonly show for others. My newspaper delivery guy climbs the 25 steps to my front door and deposits a copy of The Japan Times in my mailbox every morning, rain or shine. His colleagues in the U.S. — my home country...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 11, 2015
With focus on wartime past, Japan's global PR message could misfire
A campaign to correct perceived bias in accounts of Japan's wartime past risks muddling the positive message in a mammoth public relations drive to win friends abroad.
JAPAN
Feb 10, 2015
Thousands sign petition for free speech amid climate of self-censorship
Journalists, academics, authors, filmmakers, musicians and members of the public put their names on an online petition supporting freedom of expression amid concern about self-censorship by media, lawmakers and society over the recent hostage crisis and the government's handling of it.
JAPAN
Jan 26, 2015
Self-censoring kicks in as hostage drama plays out
As the hostage drama plays out, TV stations are altering schedules and pop idols are changing song lyrics to avoid shocking audiences accidentally.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Jan 26, 2015
Nous ne sommes pas Charlie: Voices that mock authority in Japan muzzled
Why is there no equivalent of Charlie Hebdo, 'The Daily Show' or 'Monty Python' in Japan?
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / COMMUNITY CHEST
Jan 19, 2015
Writer's critical take on Jolie's 'Unbroken' raises readers' hackles
Some emails and online comments in response to Nicolas Gattig's recent Foreign Agenda column, 'Japan may shun 'Unbroken' because it's old hat.'
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 18, 2015
North Korea pushes Myanmar to seize pirated DVDs of Sony's 'The Interview'
Myanmar police have begun seizing pirated copies of Sony's film "The Interview," a comedy about a fictional plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with media saying the move followed pressure from the North Korean Embassy in Yangon.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 18, 2015
'The Messenger of God'? India censor quits over guru's Bollywood dreams
An Indian film that features a self-styled spiritual leader in jewel-studded costume riding motorbikes and sending the bad guys flying has prompted the chief of the country's censorship panel to quit, citing government interference.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.